Manuahi Mau Loa
by MidKnight Rider
Summary: This story is an excerpt from my much longer series "Sunshine and Shadow." That story is an AU in that focuses heavily on Daniel Jackson. When it turned into an adventure for Jack and Sam, my beta reader, Bethany Actually, convinced me to make it stand-alone story as well, so that the Jack and Sam shippers could enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is an excerpt from my much longer series "Sunshine and Shadow." That story is an AU in that focuses heavily on Daniel Jackson. In that AU he is married to Jillian Jackson, civilian scientist and a member of SG8. I wrote this story off the top of my head and when some of it turned into an adventure for Jack and Sam, my beta reader, Bethany Actually, convinced me to make it a stand-alone story as well, so that the Jack and Sam shippers could enjoy it. **

**This takes place at the end of Season Eight. Sam and Jack are in a new, clandestine and completely committed relationship but there is something he is keeping from her and the rest of the team doesn't know they are together.**

**Since this was originally a part of Daniel's story, the first few chapters are about him, but this is necessary to the development of the story.**

**Other original characters include: Major Scott 'Scotty' Lawrence of SG8  
Ananoni 'Annie' Kinimaka, SGC civilian scientist, Dr. Keeper Rand, SGC civilian scientist, Dr. Alexander North – Jillian's father, an ambassador assigned to the SGC who negotiated the treaty agreement with the planet,**

**(0)**

The first thing Daniel saw when he exited the elevator was a door directly opposite with a sign in large black hand written letters that said "Watch out for random robots". Underneath the lettering someone had drawn the image of a cartoon Airman wearing a Prometheus uniform flailing backwards as he tripped over four small cylindrical robots whizzing by under his feet.

A similar sign below that said "Puck and the Lucky Charms" with a caricature of a smiling man with a shock of red hair and round glasses wearing a lab coat and surrounded by a host of bullet shaped robots. He had found the temporary home of the scientist whose sole purpose in life was to create robots out of the alien technologies being brought back from off world.

When Daniel opened the door there was a skittering sound at his feet as something came flying out of the room at his feet. Beeping and chittering the small robot careened down the hall in a zigzag, hit a wall, self-corrected and went running around a corner like a squirrel on speed.

Daniel yelped an expletive in Chinese that Sam didn't quite catch. She laughed.

"That little devil's been bumping into the door for the last ten minutes hoping someone would open it," she said.

"Isn't that one of the Mapbots?" Daniel asked.

"Yes." He was answered by the red-haired scientist who had to be the inspiration for the caricature on the door. "It's got some new programming I'm testing. When it was done mapping the room it wanted to seek out parts unknown."

"Those things are amazing," Daniel said, "I can't wait to use them at that complex of ruins on PKZ-9934."

The young man – with the unusual name of Keeper Rand, _Dr._ Keeper Rand, Ph.D. in robotics and artificial intelligence – sighed and raked fingers through his disheveled hair.

"I'm glad you like it, Dr. Jackson," he said, "But only other scientists do. The Powers That Be thinks we're wasting our time at Groom Lake making toys and cleaning equipment. The mapbot has tons of applications but it doesn't blow things up."

Sam and Daniel locked eyes for a moment. That was true. The Powers That Be weren't interested in things that made life better for mankind; not even now with the Goa'uld scattered and the Replicators gone. They _did_ like the discovery Sam had made that caused naquadah to float. Run a current of electricity through a wafer-thin slice of naquadah and it would hover as much as a few thousand feet off the ground. The mapbots were part of a prototype program to eventually replace the UAVs for long range exploration.

There were currently four of the robots – including the one that Daniel had let loose into the ship. They were named Star, Moon, Heart and Clover after the original marshmallows in the boxes of Lucky Charms. The one running the hallways of the Prometheus was Star. Moon, Heart and Clover were being held in a Plexiglas cabinet, hovering up and down like anxious puppies. Dr. Rand and his robotic pets were part of the cultural exchange of information program that was part of the treaty being signed with 672 – which was what the SGC personnel continued to call it since the native word for their planet was Manuahi Mau Loa.

"Did you come down just to visit the robots?" Sam asked.

"I was looking for you actually," Daniel answered, "I found Scotty and Annie and they told me you were here."

Sam had been asked to join the trip to 672. She had helped build Prometheus and they wanted her to tweak some of the systems. When Daniel had gone looking for her he'd discovered that the temporary robotics lab had asked for her help with the seismic sensor relay they were hoping to put up on Mauna Po'okela Ahi 'Ai Honua – the Mountain of Great Fire. It was also the biggest strato volcano anyone from Earth had ever seen.

Prometheus was currently carrying medical personnel, scientists including geologists, astrophysicists and astronomers, as well as Daniel, Sam and Jillian.

And their robotics specialist, Keeper Rand.

"Keeper asked me to look at the equipment headed for that big mountain everyone can't stop talking about," Sam explained.

Keeper was shaking his head slowly, as if he had just seen something inexplicable. "I couldn't believe how fast she stripped the array!" He said.

"She can field strip a P90 in ten seconds," he said, "I've seen her do it. After eight years I can still only do it in fifteen."

"That's because you get slowed down reading the instructions," Sam countered.

Daniel grinned. It was an old joke between them, part of the history they had built up over the same eight years and countless missions

"So does that mean you can reprogram my ground motion sensor to shoot things?" Keeper asked.

"Do you want me to?" Sam asked.

"You mean you _can_?" The young scientist's pale face got even paler.

"It might help expand your government grant next time the budget comes up for review," Daniel pointed out. "Sam has probably made targeting systems and experimental weaponry out of more things than you can even imagine."

"No MacGuyver jokes," Sam warned him, pointing a finger for emphasis.

Daniel grinned again. He was going to miss her desperately if she decided to take the job she had been offered at Area 51. Maybe Keeper's disenchantment with the place would help Sam make up her mind to stay.

If it didn't and SG1 lost Sam, it would probably lose Teal'c as well; and if that happened…..

Daniel had an idea of what he wanted to do. It would just mean talking his wife into it.

As if his thoughts had conjured her, Sam said, "Where's Jillian?"

"Taking a nap. She was tired after getting our room all settled."

Sam's face furrowed with concern. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Daniel said slowly, "Fatigue has been an issue in the last few weeks. We've been told it's normal."

Sam nodded and let it go after Daniel slid his gaze sideways to Keeper for a single second and then back to Sam, meaningfully. Jillian's pregnancy was still known to only a handful of people.

"Did you need me for something?" Sam asked him.

"No, I was just wondering what you were doing," Daniel answered.

"Want to help me recalibrate a laser sensor?" Sam wondered.

"Not really my field," he hedged.

"Actually we could maybe use your help, Dr. Jackson," Keeper spoke up, "I was just noticing that the instructions in Spanish don't seem to match the ones in English but my Spanish is rusty; and the Russian! Well…"

Daniel glanced at Sam, who shrugged. "It would be easier than translating ancient Phoenician under a floating bomb that may go off at any moment."

Daniel turned back to Keeper.

"I'd be happy to help," he answered, "and call me Daniel."

Keeper gave him smile that split his freckle-spattered face with genuine happiness.

"Welcome to the team, Daniel," he said; "and please call me Keeper and not Puck like everyone else does."

"Sure," Daniel said, easily and realizing that he was looking forward to having something important to do, "Where are these instructions?"

(0)


	2. Chapter 2

Dr. Jillian North-Jackson couldn't remember a time in her life when she had been happier. The last weeks on the Prometheus with Daniel had been peaceful, spent in the intellectual pursuit of a new language, the occasional challenge of puzzles to solve and mostly long hours of having nothing to do but enjoy each other and plan for the future.

Scotty's girlfriend, Annie, had been teaching the Hawaiian language to her and Daniel. The language of 672 was almost identical, except for the additional hand signs that were needed to clarify the words. Daniel had determined that the hand signs had originated as a secret language to be used against the Goa'uld who had brought them to the planet centuries before.

She had watched Daniel master both languages in days, as if words were air and he could simply breathe them in. Once he had harnessed his keen intelligence and sense of purpose to something, he was unstoppable.

And while the trip had been peaceful, Jillian had realized that she was really only at peace when she was with Daniel.

At the moment they were standing in the Observation Room on Deck Two. It was set up as a Rec Room for the crew, a place to gather and relax, watch movies, hang out, play games. There was a large view screen and for twelve hours they had been able to watch the planet Manuahi Mau Loa growing larger and larger. The view had been almost exclusively the night side because of the trajectory of Prometheus' approach.

It was spectacular. The planet was mostly oceans with scattered continents of various size. The night side was dotted with the twinkling lights of civilization and ribboned by the wide dark expanses of water. There were also lights ringing the planet, hanging in space like a series of diamond bracelets. They were the fleet of ships and satellites that guarded the planet. The lights moved with Manuahi Mau Loa, anchored in geosynchronous orbit with the cities they were assigned to protect. Beyond the planet they could see the shining orb of the sun and beyond that was a thick streak of stars blazing all the colors of the rainbow as if a child had poured a long line of glitter across the night.

It was the Milky Way, edge-on, a view they had rarely gotten and never to this degree. Manuahi Mau Loa was so far out on the edge of the galaxy that the distant galactic core and the spiral arms became an unmoving firework display of stars across the black sky.

Sam was enchanted with it. Her team-mate and astronomy whiz-kid, Major Scott Lawrence, was nearly beside himself with joy.

Jillian mostly just liked to stand by the railing in front of the view screen and look at it. She'd grown up watching Star Trek, loving Star Wars and devouring sci-fi books. The fact that she was now living it was sometimes overwhelming.

If she could stand by the railing with Daniel pressed up against her back and his arms holding her loosely, his hands crossed protectively between her hips and her head resting in the hollow of his shoulder just as they were at the moment – then life was just about as perfect as it ever got.

He had walked up behind her just moments ago, touched her cheek with warm fingers before enfolding her in his arms. He felt real and solid and strong, enveloping her in his presence.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly.

"I feel fine," she said, with a touch of wonder in her voice. It was true. Now that it seemed her late afternoon bouts of nausea were going away, Jillian had realized she'd never felt so healthy in her life.

"Tired?" He pressed a little closer, anxiously.

"Not at all," she answered, reaching back to touch the line of his jaw. "I could probably sleep, but I don't really feel like I need to."

"Okay," he acquiesced with relief and nuzzled her hair for a moment even though they weren't exactly alone in the room. "It was worth the trip just for the view, huh?"

"It's incredible," she agreed, "It's hard to believe we had anything a civilization this advanced would ever need."

"The Star Gate," Daniel said simply.

Jillian nodded. Until SG10 had arrived through the Gate, the Mau Lo'ans hadn't known it was anything more than a monument of some sort, a piece of unknown origin, obscurely placed in a garden at their museum of ancient history. If they had been brought through it at some point that information had been lost. Their history recorded an uprising and rebellion against their 'gods' but the name Goa'uld was not known to them.

It had been a tricky negotiation. The Mau Loans had only united as one planet in the last seventy five years. The war ships that ringed their planet were the by-product of ground wars that had gone out into space. They had believed they were capable of defending their planet against anything that might be out there. They had no warp or lightspeed capabilities and the SGC had not been unwilling to put such technology on the table. Allies had a way of becoming enemies and no one wanted to wake up one day with a fleet of Mau Lo'an ships surrounding Earth. Daniel's study of their history had revealed a violent past and their current united planet status seemed too new and too fragile to trust entirely.

Adding the further complications of the language barrier and it seemed miraculous that Earth and the Mau Lo'ans had reached a treaty agreement at all. Jillian couldn't remember being so proud of her father.

"Daniel," she changed the timber of her voice to let him know she was about to change the subject.

"Yes?"

"Are you happy?"

"How can you ask me that?" He sounded genuinely perplexed, "I have everything I ever wanted. I have things I didn't know I wanted and can't imagine being without."

"You're sure?"

"Completely."

It seemed to Daniel that Jillian wanted to pursue the subject but they were interrupted at that moment by people joining them at the railing. Scotty and his girlfriend, SGC scientist Annie Kinimaka, came up to stand beside them. With them were two of the geologists assigned to join the Mau Lo'an volcano research station, Dr. Lemarr Whyte, who was flanked by his wife, Dr. Tanda Palmer-Whyte. The Whytes were from Jamaica originally, with the ebony skin and lilting accents one would expect with such a heritage. Daniel thought that between the Jamaican accents and the intertwining Hawaiian languages, Jillian might think she was getting a true island vacation. He leaned over a little to ask her a question but at that precise instant a hush fell over the room

"What's going on?" Daniel asked.

Scotty started to answer but was prevented from responding by the slightest change in the sound of Prometheus' engines and a gentle shudder in the floor. The ship was changing course.

"We're going to come around the day side of the planet. Mt. Honua should be visible in a few minutes," Scotty explained. He had used the Earth-shortened version to identify the Mountain of Great Fire.

"From space?" Daniel asked, startled.

The answer came from Lamarr. "Honua is four eights the land base surface of Australia," he explained.

"Good god," Scotty said. "The damage that could cause…"

"Fortunately it hasn't done more than rumple in fourteen thousand years. There are small fissures and cracks all along its surface that act as safety valves," Lamarr explained.

"Look," Tanda said, pointing, "Coming up just there, on morning side."

A murmur of mixed emotions went through the gathered crowd – awe, surprise, shock. Some just gaped silently.

"The last time it erupted," Lamarr said with quiet respect, "It blasted out ash and rock that hit one of the moons."

The mountain pushed up arrogantly into the atmosphere. There was a halo of thick white clouds around its peak. The rest of it cascaded in ice blue prominence down to the surrounding sea. Even from this distance, the shadow it cast could be seen darkening the waters for several kilometers.

Daniel whispered into Jillian's ear, "Sam should be here. She'd want to see this."

As if he had conjured her, Sam shouldered her way up to stand beside them a few moments later.

"_Holy Hannah,"_ she breathed.

Annie spoke up, reciting the mountain's name with the perfect accent that only Daniel had managed to imitate correctly. "Mauna Po'okela Ahi 'Ai Honua."

"Mountain of great fire," Daniel said.

"One can only imagine," Annie agreed.

The church-like atmosphere continued for a few more hushed seconds and was suddenly broken when Major Scott Lawrence – with his typical irreverent ability to let anything stay quiet for too long – sang out the unmistakable opening lines of Marvin Gaye's classic song….

"_Listen, baby…."_

There were groans and laughter but he continued, spinning Annie around and pulling her out into the open space that served as a dance floor in the Rec Room.

"_Ain't no mountain high__  
__Ain't no valley low__  
__Ain't no river wide enough, baby…._ Come on, Jillian, sing with me."

Jillian turned in Daniel's arms and pushed him backwards with her hand in the center of his chest. Laughing, he took her into his arms in an informal dance hold as she sang…..

"_If you need me, call me_

_No matter where you are_

_No matter how far_

_Just call my name_

_I'll be there in a hurry_

_You don't have to worry….."_

"Everyone!" Scotty yelled.

The room erupted in dancing and off key singing….

" **_'Cause baby,_**

**_There ain't no mountain high enough_**

**_Ain't no valley low enough_**

**_Ain't no river wide enough_**

**_To keep me from getting to you….."_**

The spontaneous party continued for the next hour, as Prometheus made its approach to the planet. They laughed and sang and food arrived from somewhere. The impromptu karaoke went from ridiculous to sublime. Once word got out, people started arriving from other decks when they got off shift.

It broke up at last when the announcement came over the intercom that Prometheus was making its final approach and everyone should assume duty stations for planet arrival.

"Ready?" Daniel asked Jillian as they made their way back to their assigned quarters to gather the things they would need for a short stay planetside.

"More than ready," she smiled.

(0)


	3. Chapter 3

The first breath of air on a new planet was always an exhilarating experience, no matter that most members of the SGC teams were too well trained to show their reactions. The air surrounding the capitol city of Palolo on the main island of Haena was filled with tropical delights – rich florals and the crisp salt-scent of the breeze from the ocean. It was a city of elegant spires and towers shimmering silver and gold in the sunlight, rising up above trees with huge palm fronds. High in the sky, with multiple towers stretching for heaven itself was the capitol complex - Hale' Mailepai. Built into the sea cliff itself, this was the heart of the island and of the newly united Mau Lo'ans.

Between the island atmosphere and the fact that the city had a real functioning space port, Jillian was instantly bewitched by the place. Watching her mesmerized expression as they rode the open hover car to the building where they would be staying for the next few days, Daniel knew that he was more than glad he had stubbornly made this happen for her.

He looked over his shoulder at Sam, who was riding in the seat directly behind him. She was grinning broadly, blue eyes dancing.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I think I just found my new favorite vacation destination," she laughed.

Daniel looked at Keeper Rand, seated beside Sam along the railing. He was goggle-eyed, staring transfixed at the city landscape. He was watching the small teams of robots directing the hovering traffic and roving up and down the streets cleaning.

Behind Sam and Keeper, the Whytes were staring with quiet wonder at the image of Mauna Po'okela Ahi 'Ai Honua. It dominated the skyline, casting a shadow that reached nearly to the shores of Haena. Its flanks were coated in silvery snow. Its peak was lost in the clouds. Daniel couldn't help but stare.

When she saw the direction Daniel and the Whytes were looking, their guide spoke up in halting, deliberate English

"We never see the peak of the mountain. It draws the clouds like the ground draws lightning."

"This is true of volcanoes all over the galaxy," Tanda Whyte remarked. "They make their own weather."

Their guide, Ka'eo, turned and watched Daniel as Tanda spoke. His hands moved with surety, adding the correct motions to accompany Tanda's words. Ka'eo had worked tirelessly to learn English in preparation for being the Earth liason. But it helped enormously when someone could give her the proper hand signs to make the message clear. Two members of Daniel's linguistic staff had already been assigned to Jillian's father while working on the treaty.

They rose up out of the main city and came at last to the capitol complex. The building they were taken to could easily have been a cross between a castle in Wales and a six star hotel. It was made of stone that looked like granite with accents that looked like marble. Their suite of rooms was on the third to last floor of an enormous tower. It took up the entire floor. They rode up the tower in the smoothest elevator any of them had ever encountered. Daniel could see Sam practically salivating as she tried to figure out the technology being used. When she caught him looking at her, she grinned, knowing he knew exactly what she was thinking.

There was a central room, circular but clearly intended to be a common area. A door directly across from the entrance was open to a terrace. A light breeze made a series of sheer curtains dance and ripple. Six other doors, three on each side, lined the walls.

The floors were patterned in an intricate geometric design and appeared to be made of varying shades of colorful slate. There were rugs scattered at random. The furniture was all of carved dark wood that was possibly teak, polished to gleaming. The fabrics were done tastefully in every color of the rainbow. The walls were dark stained wood to a chair rail and then marble-like tile. A mural of inlaid tiles on one wall showed a detailed image of life on the islands.

A narrow table against one wall held what was obviously food - fruit, something that might have been some kind of nuts, and a metal pitcher slick with moisture beside a collection of silver cups. There was a very comfy-looking leather sofa arrangement that ran along two of the walls. The place was lit with glowing globes all along the vaulted ceilings and some in sconces on the walls.

A quick inspection behind the doors revealed equally luxurious bedrooms. There was a brief, friendly argument about who got what view – all of those being equally luxurious as well. Daniel was satisfied to be on the opposite side of the tower from the imposing volcano. They could see the city and the ocean and Jillian was enchanted with it. She was even more enchanted to find that each room had its own bathroom with a tub that would comfortably seat four. Sam was likewise enamored, commenting that some comforts seemed to be universal.

They brought their gear inside the room they had chosen and, once it had hit the bench along the wall, Daniel scooped Jillian up in his arms like a new bridegroom and carried her, laughing, to the bed (which could also easily have held four.)

"Daniel!" She turned his name into exaltation, a cry of pure joy riding the breeze of her laughter.

He stretched out beside her, fitting the length of his body along hers, covering her, pinning her to the bed. He slipped both arms around her and leaned in with every intention of kissing her. She made him hesitate by purring, "I can't wait to get out on one of those beaches."

Daniel smiled, rubbed his nose against hers and feathered his lips along her jaw, the corner of her mouth, her cheeks and eyebrows and eyelids. He was tender, careful and yet the passion was obvious. Then he said in a throaty whisper, "I can't wait to get you into that tub."

She laughed again as their lips met but it quickly turned into a low groan. Hot, sensual awareness flooded them. Until Jillian, he had never known that desire, intensity and a sweet aching sensitivity to the needs and reactions of another being could all melt into one glorious sensation. It was as if his world had caught fire. Everything, everyone, was just a candle now – still warm but never enough.

He broke the kiss with gentle skill but stayed close to her, breathing with her.

The flush of desire had colored her cheeks by the time their lips parted – the natural effect of the kiss and the press of his body. She looked vulnerable and he could feel her body softening against his. There was yearning clear in her expression and in her green, lovely eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, softly.

"What?"

"Why did you ask me if I'm happy?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, though she inhaled and seemed about to. "If I've done _anything_ to make you doubt that I am…."

"No, you haven't," she said, quickly.

Daniel lifted up on one elbow and stared down into her eyes, his own eyes piercing behind his glasses.

"Then why did you ask?"

Jillian ran her fingers over the taut skin of his upper arm and down past his elbow to his wrist. She appeared to be taking a moment to think and he let her have it – even though the touch of her hand was titillating to the point of making his thoughts stutter.

"As long as I've known you, you've been on a front line team fighting to keep everyone you love safe."

"That's true," he acknowledged.

"I guess I'm just wondering what you're going to do now."

He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm going to live with my wife and lavish love and attention on her while we raise our children."

"And when you're not doing that?" she asked.

Daniel heard the serious tone of her voice and swallowed his need to keep this lighthearted. She meant it and if he was honest with himself she was right. He had been happy on Abydos and he had loved his wife. It hadn't stopped him from needing adventure. It hadn't stopped his fatal curiosity. He knew what Jillian was worried about. He knew she didn't believe, even for a moment, that he was suddenly ready for a life of peaceful research. As relieved as he was about the defeat of the Goa'uld and the destruction of the Replicators, his overheated brain would still need fuel.

He sighed a little. Jillian knew him much too well.

He cradled her cheek in his palm for a moment and then brushed her hair off her forehead.

"I can think of thirty planets off the top of my head that will still be funded, no matter what else the government decides to do with the budget. There are still countless Gate addresses we haven't dialed and I know we can count on the Langford-Littlefield Foundation for that funding. It won't hurt that Catherine offered me a seat on the Board just before she died. The defense budget is going to take a hit and Jack won't like it but the exploration budget should be safe."

"And you think we'll still get to go to all of them?"

"Well, the SGC, not us personally," he said.

When she looked hesitant he went on, "Jack's going to make sure, too, Jillian."

"Jack?" she twisted around onto her side, surprise on her face and in her voice. "I thought Sam said Jack was going to retire. He promised her."

During their recent time at Jack's cabin, Sam had confessed to Jillian that she and Jack were together and just waiting for his retirement to make their relationship public. Knowing both his wife and his team mate of eight years almost as well as they knew him, Daniel had figured it out. So now Sam knew that Jillian knew but not that Daniel did. Neither Sam, Jillian nor Daniel had any idea if Teal'c knew. Jack didn't know any of them knew for sure but suspected they all did.

Daniel took a deep breath and looked away.

"Jack's been asked to take Hammond's place in DC."

"What?"

"And he wants to do it."

"Is he crazy?"

"No, he just has certain goals for the SGC that he can accomplish in DC." When Daniel saw Jillian's eyes narrow in disapproval he went on quickly, "and he wants to have knee surgery. There's a new procedure that's minimally invasive and can be performed at GWU hospital."

"He promised Sam," Jillian said, flatly. "She is _not_ going to be happy."

"Sam is going to Area 51 and Jack set that up for her."

"And she thinks he's going with her!"

That made Daniel pause. "She does?"

"YES!"

"She said that?"

"Yes," Jillian said.

"Damn," Daniel said softly.

Jillian sighed then too and fell onto her back again. "They _really_ need to start talking to each other."

"Look, Jill, I want them to be okay too. But they're adults and they've got to work this out for themselves. I think Sam is more ambitious in her career than she's probably let on to you. She might be fine with all this and she'll understand if Jack has certain things he needs to finish."

"I hope you're right."

"I don't know really. I just know that messing with their relationship is _not_ something I want to do."

"Why does love have to be so complicated?" Jillian sighed.

"I don't know. It took me three years to work up the courage to tell you I loved you and we turned out all right."

When she didn't agree with him right away he pressed, "Didn't we?"

Jillian took pity on him. She stoked his face and gave him a warm, tender smile. "Yes we turned out more than all right. I just….. I don't want to lose you. Just, whatever we do now, I need you to be safe out there, the same way you need me to be safe. I just feel as if ten minutes into this opportunity to be actual peaceful explorers you're going to be bored out of your mind. It scares me, Daniel."

Daniel didn't answer that, at least not directly. He felt his heart contract painfully around all the love he felt for her; and all the pain and fear and uncertainty and love and forgiveness that had been part of her relationship with him – all squeezed into that one throbbing beat of his heart.

_Why did love have to be so complicated…?_

He bent over and began feathering kisses on her face again.

"I think," he said, in between soft touches of his lips, "that I am married to someone I find utterly fascinating and she's very – _very_ – good at finding ways to keep me from being bored."

His hand went up under her t-shirt, fingers swirled against the soft skin over her ribs and then higher until he had her breast cupped in his palm. Jillian sighed, closed her eyes and arched a little.

He kissed her lightly and was just shifting closer when someone knocked on the door. Daniel suppressed a groan.

"Daniel! Jillian!" Sam called from the other side of the heavy teak wood.

"What?" Daniel yelled.

"Jillian's dad is here!"

Jillian inhaled and exhaled slowly, sinking back into the thick mattress. Daniel collapsed against her for a moment, breathing in soft gasps.

"Your dad's here," he said, against her neck.

"Yeah, I heard. Rain check?"

"I'll hold you to that," he said, rubbing his cheek against her hair for a moment.

He helped her stand up and waited while she dug a brush out of her pack and fixed her hair so that it didn't quite look as if she had just gotten out of bed.

Just before they walked out the door, Daniel took her hand and held it tight.

"Jillian," he began and then had to stop the surge of words, too much, too important, no real way to reassure her that nothing in the galaxy was more important to him now than being with her, no matter how long and frantically he spoke.

She stopped him by reaching up to rest her palm on the side of his face. She smiled and the look in her eyes made all the words dry up and drift away.

Jillian knew and Daniel realized suddenly that he often spent hours with Jillian in silence. In a world that continually required Daniel to talk, explain, translate, describe, report and often forced him to do so in long-winded run on paragraphs – with Jillian he could be wordless….

And still be perfectly understood.

(0)


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel ran his hand over the carvings on the wall, brushing away dust and cobwebs that had collected over a century. According to Ka'eo that is at least as long as this research station had been abandoned.

In an attempt to satisfy Daniel's request to see ruins and Sam's request to see technology and the Whyte's need to get closer to Mt. Honua, Ka'eo had brought them one hundred klicks off the coast of Haena to a smaller island. In days far out of memory, according to Ka'eo, it had been the center of worship of the god Mauai. The old temple had eventually been converted to an unmanned volcano watch station and then abandoned when it was obvious that Mt. Honua seemed destined to remain quiet. The occasional rumble and slow ooze of lava from the fissures on its ancient sides had not been enough to continue funding the project, Ka'eo explained.

Scotty and Annie had tagged along just for fun. Jack had arrived through the Star Gate just in time to join the group.

From the outside the building looked like any of dozens of temples they had discovered over the years. It was dirt-streaked white marble overgrown with vines as the surrounding jungle sought to reclaim it. The roof may once have been reeds or palm fronds but had been replaced with the silver metal common on many of the buildings in the city. The inside was just as dust and vine covered but any resemblance to a temple ended abruptly inside the first door. The inside strongly looked like an air traffic control room, with consoles and instruments everywhere. The only hint that this had once been a temple was in the fading painting and carvings on the wall.

Sam was at the far side of the large room trying to pry a panel off a control panel. Jillian was brushing dirt off a section of painting, trying to get a better look. Jack was prowling the room looking unhappy that there was only one exit and no doubt wishing he hadn't left his sidearm back in tower room on Haena.

Scotty, Annie, the Whytes and Ka'eo had opted to take a walk up a short trail to the top of the island to see what Ka'eo claimed was a truly spectacular view of the volcano.

"What does it say?" Sam asked Daniel.

Lost in a translation, it took Daniel a moment to respond. Even after eight years he still seemed slightly startled when someone took an interest in what he was doing.

"This?" He asked, pointing to it. "Well, it's not instructions for whatever you're looking at over there. It's ummm, a prayer or a blessing. It may even be a song. There is a lot of repetition."

Sam straightened up and gave him a look of affectionate exasperation.

"What does it _say_?" She repeated.

"Oh!" Daniel looked back at it, so he missed the look that passed between Sam and Jillian. "It, ummm, it says:

"Safeguard us

That we may flourish in the heavens

That we may flourish this place

That we may flourish in these islands

Grant us knowledge

Grant us strength

Grant us intelligence

Grant us understanding

Grant us insight

Grant us power

The prayer is lifted, it is free."

He paused and looked at Sam. "There's more," he said.

"Go on," Sam encouraged.

Daniel looked skeptical for a moment but kept reading.

"Ancestors from the rising to the setting sun

From the zenith to the horizon

Ancestors who stand at our back and front

You who stand at our right hand

Hear us cry from across the heavens

A breathing in the heavens

An utterance in the heavens

A clear, ringing voice in the heavens

A voice reverberating in the heavens

Calling to you

Beseeching you

We are here

Here are your descendants

Find us. Come to us."

The women were quiet for a moment when he was done and then Jillian said,

"It sounds as if they were reaching out to the people of Earth. They knew this was not their original home."

"So it seems," Daniel agreed.

"So we have what then? Proof of what we already knew?" Jack asked. He had stopped pacing at a midway point between Sam and the door.

Daniel stared at Jack for a moment and then said, in a low, deadly, toneless voice. "Yes, Jack. That's exactly what it means."

He moved to another series of writings on the wall and Jillian moved with him. They all worked in silence for a few minutes. Jack resumed his circuit of the room, pausing by the door for a bit; and then a soft rumbling caught all their attention.

SGC trained and experience honed they all froze. For a moment it seemed like thunder but it had been a clear day with clear skies in all directions when they had entered the temple. Then it got louder and sounded like heavy machinery. Then they saw the dust begin a frantic, helpless dance as it responded to vibrations that were still too tenuous to feel.

All at once they realized what it was.

"Down!" Jack shouted, "Earthquake! Sam!"

He started to run across the room but the floor pitched wildly at that moment and turned it into a graceless stagger. Sam turned towards him and took a step, looking around for a table close enough, a door frame, _anything;_ but then it was too late. The snarl of tearing earth exploded into a roar, shaking them so hard that teeth rattled and the vibrations could be felt in their bones.

Daniel launched himself at Jillian, grabbed her around the waist and hauled her without ceremony under a metal table. The tile floor beneath them was swaying, gently at first and then with increasing force. Daniel wrapped both arms around her, held her head against his shoulder with one hand and curled the rest of his body around her in a tight ball. He pulled his glasses off just as everything began to shake in earnest.

"Jack!" He shouted, unable to see where his team mates were.

"Stay where you are!" Jack ordered, hollering over the sound of nature rearranging the land.

Daniel curled up even tighter, protecting her with his arms and legs, his back and shoulders, as a cascade of broken roof tiles began thundering on the table above their heads. A cracking noise preceded the sound of something heavy splintering and crashing somewhere near the door.

"Daniel," Jillian whimpered.

A screech of ripping metal prevented him from answering. There was another crash and more tiles rained from the ceiling.

It lasted no more than seconds but at last the rippling floor lay still and the last of the ceiling trickled down with a slither of plaster. Metal groaned and then fell silent.

"Jack!" Daniel yelled, at the same moment that Jack yelled, "Daniel!"

"Yeah," Daniel said. He loosened his hold on Jillian enough to lean back, take her face between his hands and look down into her wide eyes. She nodded in answer to his unspoken question. "We're fine but, uh….." He put his glasses back on and looked around. There was nothing but slabs of stone and metal surrounding the table, "I think we're trapped under here."

"All right, stay there. Sam!"

They all waited for Sam to respond. Long seconds passed. Jillian gripped Daniel's forearms and looked up at him, fighting panic.

"Sam!" Daniel shouted.

There was still no answer.

"Jack, can you see her?"

"Not from where I am. There's nothing where she was but a cabinet that fell off the wall."

"Sam!" Daniel yelled louder.

The room shivered suddenly and metal moaned again.

"Jack, what's the room look like?"

"It's bad. A couple of roof supports are down, a couple more are hanging by a thread. Stay there!"

Daniel could hear the sound of debris being tossed aside. Something trickled onto the metal table. A twist of metal next to them was hauled backwards and dust-flecked daylight poured into the opening. Jack bent down and peered in at them. His face was chalked with white dust and there was a cut on his temple.

"Doing okay?"

"Oh yeah, this is great, couldn't be better," Daniel quipped.

"All right, you can get out as soon as there is somewhere to go. Right now you're safer under there."

"What about Sam?"

"I'll get her," Jack said, with grim determination.

Daniel peered out through the narrow opening. It was just wide enough for him to see Jack wading through knee-deep debris. Beneath the noise he was making they could hear the ominous tick-by-tick sound of stone and plaster continuing to splinter from the stress.

"Daniel," Jillian whispered again.

He looked back at her again in alarm. "What? Are you hurt?"

"No, I don't think so. But what if there are aftershocks? The roof…."

Daniel took her face between his hands. "_Shhhh_. Shhhhh. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You know that."

Her hand gripped his wrist. "What about you?" she asked.

Daniel didn't have an answer for that. He was willing to risk his own death or serious injury to protect her and they both knew that. He had looked death in the face and never blinked too many times in his career and sometimes death even won – for a time.

But he wasn't going to lose Jillian and if it was at all possible, he wasn't going to make her live without him ever again.

Then his attention was caught by Jack hurling a broken cabinet out of the way to reveal Sam. She was lying on her side with blood trickling from a cut on her forehead. Her eyes were closed and she was pale.

Jack kicked more rubble out of the way and knelt, leaning over to listen for her breathing. When he sat back up his fingers were resting on her throat, on her carotid artery. His silence was unbearable.

"Is she all right?" Daniel demanded.

"No, Daniel she is _not_ all right. In case you missed it, she's unconscious and bleeding in a room that just got trashed by an earthquake."

"Jack!" Daniel growled, impatiently.

O'Neill relented.

"She's breathing and her pulse is strong." He shook her gently, "Sam! Sam, wake up."

But she remained unresponsive and Jack shot Daniel a grim look.

"That's three," Daniel commented.

Jack stared, blank. "Three what?" he asked.

"Three times you've called her Sam. I haven't heard you call her anything but Carter in seven years. Well, six considering the year I wasn't with you…."

"Daniel!"

"What"

"We're gonna do this _now_? Seriously?"

Daniel blinked.

"Okay, yeah. What's the situation then?"

Jack looked up. "The ceiling is cracking."

The splintering sound was getting more insistent, accompanied now by the unmistakable sound of bending metal.

From outside there was a sudden sound of voices, one much louder than the rest.

"_Jillian_!"

She looked up, startled. "That's Scotty."

Of course, Daniel thought. Like all members of an SGC team, Scotty would be more worried about Jillian than anyone else.

"Lawrence!" Jack yelled.

"Yes sir!" The response came back with military precision. "How are you all doing in there, sir?"

"Is everyone out there all right?"

"Yes sir! We all got knocked off our feet but no one is hurt. Ka'eo is taking the Whytes back to the main island. She called for help. What is your situation, sir?"

There was a loud crack as a beam in the ceiling began surrendering to the stress.

"I don't think help from Haena is going to get here fast enough," Jack said.

Jillian moved closer to Daniel, clinging. He wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"Our situation is _not_ good," Jack hollered, "Captain, do _not_ attempt to get through the front of this building. I repeat, do _not _touch the front of this building. The roof is about to come down."

"Understood, sir. Suggestions?"

Jack looked around and then looked at Daniel.

"I got nothing. Any move we make is likely to bring this whole place down on us."

Daniel's eyes tracked back and forth rapidly behind his glasses, as if he was scrolling through possibilities in his mind and just as quickly discarding them.

"Ummm, ummm, _Prometheus_!"

"It can't get here any faster than help from the main island," Jack said.

"But it as the new Asgard beam," Daniel said, "They can beam us out of here."

"They need to know where we are," Jack countered, "We need locator beacons. Happen to have one?"

"Not on me," Daniel admitted.

"What about Keeper?" Jillian said, suddenly.

"Keeper? Rand?" Jack repeated. "The robot guy?"

"No, no, she's right," Daniel said, his brain already running ahead to Jillian's point. "He can use one of the mapbots to get in here with the locators."

Jack held Daniel's eyes for a moment. "Could work," he admitted. "Lawrence!"

"Sir!" Scotty shouted.

"Get on the radio. Contact Prometheus. Tell them we need Dr. Rand, one of his robots and four locator beacons and we need that _five minutes ago."_

"Yes, sir!" Scotty sounded unbelievably relieved to have something to do.

"Daniel," Jack said.

"What?"

"I need your help."

"Doing?"

"We have to find an opening big enough for a mapbot to get in here."

Daniel frowned and shook his head. He didn't want to leave Jillian, but Jack was right. He held her tight for a moment.

"I'll be right back."

Jillian didn't argue.

Daniel crawled slowly out into the wreckage. He risked a glance at the ceiling and found it sagging dangerously, hairline cracks inching wider. The remaining support beams looked like kindling. He muttered a particularly foul curse in Chinese under his breath.

"We should get Sam under the table."

Jack shook his head emphatically but didn't look happy. "No, she could have a back injury, or worse. Not moving her. We get out of here, Daniel."

Overhead there was another loud crack by the door. Jack and Daniel threw themselves against the back wall, covering Sam, as a huge section of roof cascaded down. One of the support beams simply buckled and cracked in two. Dust and debris rained on them. When it cleared there was a huge chunk of roof teetering precariously on a few broken beams, air and the sincere will power of Jack and Daniel.

"Daniel!" Jillian cried.

"It's okay! We're fine"

Jack and Daniel stood up, cautiously.

"Well the bad news is that the door is even more blocked," Jack said.

"There's good news?" Daniel wondered, ruffling dirt and broken tiles out of his hair.

Jack gestured to the top of the front wall. "We don't have to look for an opening anymore."

Daniel followed Jack's hand with his eyes. Sure enough there was daylight streaming through a sizable hole in the wall where the ceiling had once been.

"General O'Neill!" Scotty's voice called. "Dr. Rand is here!"

"General?" Keeper's voice sounded shaky. "I've got one of the mapbots, sir. Clover. But she can only carry two of the locators at a time. They weren't designed to carry weight at all really. I could probably make a few modifications in the future but this isn't what they were originally meant to do…."

"Rand! Send them in!" Jack ordered. Under his breath he muttered, "Scientists."

"Sam and Jillian first," Daniel said, unnecessarily.

"Ya betcha," Jack replied.

A soft whirring noise announced the arrival of Clover. The small 'bot was moving like a drunken bumblebee. There were two black shapes duct taped to the top of it. Jack surged forward through the mess to grab it.

"Bring it down, Keeper!" Daniel shouted.

Clover dropped and Jack grabbed it.

"Shut it off!" He yelled and Clover stopped struggling in Jack's grip.

Jack ripped the tape off and tossed a beacon to Daniel, who was still standing by Sam. He knelt and put it in Sam's hand. He pushed it and Sam vanished in a familiar blue-lit whine.

Jack pushed forward once again to the table and tossed the other beacon under it for Jillian.

"Daniel!" she said.

"Go! For gods' sake, Jillian!"

Another blue-lit whine sounded and Daniel was helplessly, achingly grateful for it. Looking at Jack he saw the same emotion reflected back at him.

"Rand!" Jack yelled. "Recall this little beast!"

Clover stirred back to life, lifted and shot back towards the opening in the ceiling. The loosely balanced section of roof groaned and shifted. Jack moved towards Daniel, herding him bodily up against the rear wall. It wasn't going to do much good and they both knew it. If that slab came down it was going to bring the rest of the roof with it.

"General, Clover is coming back!" Keeper hollered.

"Okay," Jack said. He started to move into the center of the room again and Daniel grabbed his arm. The roof slab was starting to shift downward, like the slow motion start of an avalanche.

Clover showed up again, moving fast.

"Straight!" Jack yelled. "Just stay that course! …. Okay, shut it off!"

Clover dropped out of the air millimeters before it would have either hit the wall or veered in another direction. Jack was still catching it as Daniel ripped the tape back. They hit the signal on the beacons just as roof teetered, rocked and gravity won. The slab came slamming down above them.

The last thing they saw before it would have crushed them was the shimmer of blue that heralded the Asgard transporter beam.

(0)


	5. Chapter 5

Some time later Daniel found Jack on the Bridge of the Prometheus. He was in full 'General' mode, serious, a commanding presence even just sitting – slightly slouched - in the center chair listening to several people all reporting to him at once. There was something leonine about him, Daniel decided, something lethal and alert even at his most laconic.

Jack caught Daniel's eye in a quick glance that acknowledged Daniel's presence. The Airman reporting to him final wound down and Jack stood. He strode towards a door at the side of the Bridge, motioning with his head for Daniel to follow.

"Pendergast!" He said.

"Sir!"

"I'm using your office," Jack informed him.

"Yes, sir."

The room was sparse even by military standards. But it had a desk and two chairs. Jack claimed the chair at the desk, leaving the other one for Daniel.

Daniel didn't miss the slight grimace that crossed Jack's rugged face as he sat down. His knee – or both of them – was bothering him and Daniel hoped he hadn't wrenched something during the earthquake. Jack hadn't bothered getting checked out and if, Daniel knew him, he wasn't going to get checked out for hours still.

"How is the ship?" Daniel asked.

"Minor damage, nothing structural. Some stuff that fell off tables. No injuries. The damned thing's been designed to get shot at and travel at lightspeed. It better be able to withstand some ground shaking."

Daniel stayed quiet for a moment. Jack was at about a ten on his 'annoyed scale.' It didn't get much higher. He decided to let Jack speak next…..

Which he did almost immediately.

"Jillian resting?"

Daniel frowned. "Yes. She was sleeping when I left her," he regarded Jack closely. "I suppose you've had a medic reporting to you?"

"Regularly."

"Then you know that Sam has a mild concussion and some minor bruises and they're going to let her wake up on her own?"

"Yes," Jack answered, "and I know that Jillian is fine. Anything you want to add to that?"

"Do I need to?"

"It's not like I asked for the personal details, Daniel."

"She's fine. The baby's fine. We did an ultrasound just to make sure. Thank you again for finding Alex. It went a long way to calming her down."

_The Asgard beam had transported Jack and Daniel directly to the sick bay on the Prometheus and found it a hive of buzzing efficiency. Sam was being wheeled into an exam room by two medics and Daniel felt Jack take an involuntary step forward to go with her and then stop when he realized he couldn't._

_Jillian was standing with Scotty's arms around her. Daniel felt a surge of mixed emotions – a slight twinge of jealousy, gratitude that she had someone comforting her and relief that she was all right. It helped that Annie was standing behind Scotty with her forehead resting on his back and her hand on his forearm. Scott let Jillian go the moment they saw Daniel and she had run to him, flung her arms around him and held tight._

_It went a long way to easing the twinge of jealousy. Daniel knew that Scott loved Jillian, but only in the same way Daniel loved Sam. There had been no mistaking the undertone of panic in Scott's military-professional voice when he was outside the crumbling temple. It had matched the sound of his own voice – and Jack's – when Sam hadn't answered them._

_Daniel locked eyes with Scotty across the brief distance between them and nodded a little._

"_Thanks," he said, "for getting us out of there."_

"_Not a problem," Scotty answered and then he turned away, reaching for Annie and wrapping her up in his arms._

_Jillian was shaking and Daniel started swaying a little, whispering in a mix of Dutch and English that it was okay and it was all over now._

"_I need to know where my Dad is," she had begged._

_Daniel hugged her, carded his fingers through into her hair and said, "Okay, but I'm not leaving you until I know you're completely all right."_

"_Daniel, please," Jillian insisted._

_Beside him Jack spoke up, "I'll go."_

_Daniel looked at him in surprise. "You will?"_

"_Yeah. Nothing I can do here anyway. I'm sure Pendergast has it under control but I should check anyway, see what assistance we're offering. I can track down Dr. North in the process."_

"_Thank you, Jack," Jillian had said, softly._

Within a half an hour Jack had Alexander North speaking to his daughter over the ship's comm system. He had told them the city was largely untouched as earthquakes were common and the buildings had been designed to handle them. The epicenter had been nearly one hundred kilometers off the south shore of Mt. Hanau. It had just been a 'wrong place/wrong time' situation that had placed Daniel, Jack, Sam and Jillian in an abandoned building just as the earthquake hit.

Alexander told them that the government complex was still being checked for structural damage and advised that they should all just stay on board Prometheus for the time being.

The sound of her father's voice and her baby's heartbeat had been all Jillian needed to help her sleep.

Daniel had to admit that it was a great relief to know Alexander was all right and for the other… Well, for someone who was less than an inch big, his son sounded pretty strong.

"Good," Jack said.

"I don't think I've ever seen Jillian like that," Daniel said, softly.

There was the slightest change in Jack's demeanor. Without seeming to move at all he was somehow more alert.

"Like what?"

"That …..scared."

"Look, Daniel. Your wife is a part of a front line SGC team. You know what she's faced out there. I know you're used to getting nothing but grace under pressure from her. But everything changes when there's a baby involved, Daniel. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You ever remember being that scared? Ever?"

"I don't remember being scared at all," Daniel answered. "Not then, not during the earthquake. I didn't have time. I didn't get scared until right before the ultrasound. Then….. yeah, I guess I've never been so scared in my life."

Jack nodded. "Everything changes."

Daniel decided not to press Jack about that. He knew that there was only one time in Jack's life that he had been terrified out of his mind – and in that case his worst fears had come true. There was nothing Jack would ever face worse than the moments just after he'd heard a gunshot from his bedroom 9 years ago.

He started to comment that this was all happening at a time in his life when everything seemed to be changing anyway when Col. Pendergast appeared in the doorway.

"Sir?"

Jack looked up and the Colonel went on. "Sorry for the interruption, General, but you said you wanted to be notified immediately when Col. Carter woke up."

Jack and Daniel both stood up as one fluid unit and headed for the door.

"I'll be in sickbay, Colonel," Jack said.

"Understood, sir."

(0)

It was unusual for the medical department of the Prometheus to work double shifts. The ship had served mostly as a shuttle and cargo transport. It was rarely used in battle and when it was, they were close to Earth and additional personnel.

This time the crew had been called on to offer humanitarian aid to the people of Haena and the surrounding lesser islands. There had been no fatalities, thankfully. The people were clearly used to earthquakes and had ridden this one out well. According to the geologists from the SGC the quake had been the equivalent of a 5.9 on the Richter.

That didn't mean the medical centers and hospitals weren't busy with injuries, some of them serious. Airman and USAFMS nurse Monica Hunter had already been on her feet for an eight hour shift when the quake hit. She had volunteered to be in the first group of personnel being sent to assist in the city. Instead of going straight to her quarters when she had finally returned to the ship, she had gone to sickbay to see if there was anything else that needed to be done.

Things were fairly quiet when she arrived, though there was someone in the private isolation room and that was odd.

"Who's in there?" She had directed the question to a fellow Airman, Craig Philips.

He seemed surprised. "You don't know?"

"Can't tell from out here," she answered, trying to peer through the window without getting caught doing so.

The figure in the bed was quite still beneath the green sheets and there was a flash of blond hair on the pillow.

"That's Colonel Carter," Philips answered, "She got caught out on the small island and a cabinet fell on her. She's been unconscious."

"Colonel Carter!" Monica gasped.

She had been on board the Prometheus since it had left Earth and Monica hadn't see Colonel Carter even once. She had been hoping for even a glimpse. The missions of SG1 were required reading for anyone who had been approved for the SGC program, even those destined to serve on Prometheus instead of traveling through the Gate. SG1, and especially Colonel Samantha Carter, had become heroes for the young Airman. But the Colonel had proved elusive; as had Dr. Jackson and his wife, Dr. North.

Like an aircraft carrier on Earth, the Prometheus was a floating city in itself. It wasn't unusual to go for weeks without one department seeing anyone from another.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Philips asked.

Monica shrugged, craning for a better look. "She's SG1, you know? They aren't supposed to get hurt."

"You read the missions. They're human, not indestructable. They get hurt like the rest of us."

"Not in earthquakes! That seems pretty senseless. Is she going to be all right?"

"She woke up a few minutes ago. I just delivered the message to the Bridge."

"Okay, that's good." She was about to ask for more details when two men came through the main door. All the words she had ready to say died unspoken.

"Isn't that….Isn't that? Oh my god, it _is," _she stammered.

The tall man with the graying hair and the rugged planes and angles of a face she had only ever seen in pictures was Brigadier General Jonathan O'Neill. He was much taller than Monica had ever imagined and such a….. a _presence_ that he seemed to charge the air just by his occupation of it. He was all trim muscle and implied strength beneath a slightly rumpled desert tan BDU. He stood with authority and he moved like Secret Service. His face was shockingly handsome, younger-looking than she knew he was, but older somehow, too, etched with experience. It was a face that could automatically convey calm strength no matter what was going on around him.

"General O'Neill," Philips said, unnecessarily, "Why? Jeezus, Hunter, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"_And_ Dr. Jackson! That's one-_half_ of SG1," she hissed, excitedly, "Did you ever think you'd get to see any of them in person?"

"They're not rock stars," Philips said, but Monica couldn't help but notice he was staring too.

The other man was obviously Dr. Jackson. He was turned in profile to her as he listened to Dr. Reese's report. It was a stunning profile - strong jaw and chin, slightly turned-up nose, full lips, short hair in a casual, bedroom-tousle. He was Hollywood-handsome, with something almost boyish to his chiseled symmetry. Even from the side and behind his glasses he had striking eyes, which she had never noticed before in any of the formal photos she had seen of the team.

As if he had felt her eyes, Dr. Jackson turned his head and looked casually at her. For a moment Monica felt as if sickbay had literally disappeared. Full on his eyes were not just striking, they were astonishing clear blue, crinkling around the edges with the kind of lines acquired by squinting into the sun in tropical places. There was quiet curiosity in his gaze, sharpening into something like amusement as if he had just suddenly realized something.

Slowly, Dr. Jackson cocked his head. The hint of a shy smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. It seemed to Monica that he came just short of nodding to her before turning his attention back to the General and Dr. Reese.

_God,_ she thought,_ imagine being married to him…_

The men spoke to the doctor for another brief moment and then moved off towards the isolation room in lock step.

The moment the General and Dr. Jackson entered the isolation room, Colonel Carter sat up. Any sign of weakness or injury were not apparent. She moved with a kind of fluid grace with her eyes riveted on her CO. General O'Neill was standing with his back to the window, but it seemed he must have spoken. Monica could see his jaw move and whatever he said made Colonel Carter's eyes widened slightly, as though what he said was enlightenment or epiphany. It caused an immediate reaction, a connection between them and a slow - and very sensual - smile spread her already lovely mouth into a shape of beauty. Samantha Carter was not just beautiful. Suddenly, in the presence of her teammates, she was luminous.

She transformed completely from patient to Colonel Carter right before Monica's eyes. Suddenly three-fourths of the legendary SG1 was _right there_.

She was startled out of her euphoric vision of her heroes by the gruff voice of her CO.

"Hunter!" Reese snapped.

"Sir!" She answered.

"You're asleep on your feet. Go get some rest. Everything's under control here."

"Yes, sir."

Lowly Airman Monica Hunter took one more look at the image of SG1, wished just a little bit that Teal'c had been there too and then turned to seek the quiet of her quarters.

(0)


	6. Chapter 6

Something about 672 had made Jack's skin itch ever since he had come through the Star Gate. He had hoped at first that the earthquake had been the source of his discomfort, of the soft insistent chime of his warning bells. But when it hadn't lessened even after he'd determined that everyone was all right, he had ordered Prometheus back into space in a planetary orbit that was geosynchronous with the capital city. He had considered ordering all the military personnel back aboard ship and shelved it for the time being. It couldn't hurt to have boots on the ground, especially not with Carter in charge. As a further precaution he ordered everyone to have a locator beacon on them at all times. There had been some grumbles from the scientists but he had held firm.

There had been nothing at the state dinner to trigger any alarms. It had been a reasonably boring evening that had required his dress blues and caused an unmistakable ember of desire to smolder in Sam's eyes all evening. But nothing had shown up that was large, menacing, or formidable with weapons and armor and teeth.

Much later in the evening when Jack had been certain that everyone else in their palatial accommodations was asleep he had gone out onto his balcony, protected by the clouded night and the fact that they were on the 28th floor. There was nothing but a stone wall about eight inches thick between his balcony and Sam's. He had climbed around it easily, simple matter of moving from railing to railing and hugging the wall, still wearing his dress blues to take advantage of the dark color. He needed to see her privately, to tell her about his nagging feelings of impending doom – confident that she wouldn't question him.

He knocked softly on the glass door and she greeted him wearing a light blue camisole and panties and her Beretta. It was probably one of the most erotic things he had ever seen her in, sidearm included in the image. She had been equally exasperated, infuriated and delighted to see him.

"Are you out of your mind?" She had demanded, setting the gun on a side table and seizing the front of his jacket. There had been something shockingly arousing about the contact of his wool uniform and all its stiff stars and bars coming into contact with her mostly bare skin and silky lingerie. For a moment he had done nothing but let her feel the powerful effect of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill in full uniform backing her into a wall and holding her there. She responded by slipping her arms around his neck and demanding a passionate kiss.

When they had come up for air she had gasped, "What if you had fallen?"

"That would have been bad," he admitted, kissing her again.

"What the hell are you thinking?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Did you consider just knocking on the front door, you know the one out in the common room?"

"I didn't want anyone to know how long I'm going to be in here."

The truth was that he had done much more dangerous things and for reasons that had been much less important to him than the chance to spend a few uninterrupted hours with her.

They had not spoken again for a long time after that, being too occupied with other more physical things.

Jack dozed a little bit afterwards, feeling relaxed for the first time since walking through the Star Gate two days earlier. Perhaps not relaxed but exhausted enough to rest soundly if even for a short while. He woke up later with Sam still in his arms and his face buried in her tousled hair. Being with her, belonging with her, was like a dream come true and he was afraid to get used to it.

But he wanted to wake up with Sam every morning for the rest of his life, if only that could be possible.

She stirred when he did, rolled over in his arms and blinked up at him a few times as her eyes focused in the dark.

"Can I ask you something?" she murmured, snuggling closer until her cheek rested on his chest.

"What?"

"You knew, didn't you? About the earthquake. You knew something was going to happen. I could tell by the way you were pacing around and looking for exits."

"I was not pacing."

"Yes, you were."

He hesitated and then spoke into the dark. "I've felt like something was going to happen since I got here. I still do."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes. I'm not kidding when I say I want everyone on alert."

"So it wasn't the earthquake?"

"Not just the earthquake, no."

He started kissing the outline of her face and then along her cheekbones and forehead, all the exquisite bone structure that supported her beauty. Sam stayed still while he did it. She loved Jack and she had come to appreciate the instinct and battle-honed reflexes that functioned below his conscious level.

As a scientist Sam wasn't actually good at trusting her instincts. Over the years working side by side she had learned to trust Jack's, as he had learned to trust her skill and knowledge.

"So, what is it then?"

"I don't know," he had admitted. "But I'm going to find out."

He had waited until she had fallen back to sleep and then slipped with silent stealth out of the bed. She had stirred but settled down quickly when he kissed her forehead and told her to go back to sleep.

The whir and light of the Asgard beam taking him to the Prometheus woke her again, but he never knew.

He had taken a shower and gotten another hour's sleep before closeting himself in Pendergast's office the next morning. This time he didn't just read the cliff notes version of Alexander North's report on 672. He read every word looking for clues.

He thought he'd found it on page 43 and had Alexander beamed to the Prometheus and brought to the office.

Without preliminary and almost before Alexander had finished sitting down Jack said, "Tell me about this group, these aww-maw-koo…."

"Aumakua aina. The Guardians of the Land," Alexander interrupted. "It's a small but very vocal group dedicated to the idea that Mau Loa should stay isolated. They think the Star Gate is now a very bad and very dangerous thing and don't want the treaty with Earth. They call us haoli and it isn't a compliment."

"How organized are they?"

"I couldn't tell you," Alexander sighed, "The government here isn't very forth coming about their activities."

"Why not?" Jack demanded.

"Why would they?" Alexander countered, "Are we going to suddenly tell all our allies about terrorist activities on Earth and how we know what they're doing?"

Jack only heard one word in the sentence. "Terrorists?"

"That's probably over stating. But they have filed formal protests about the treaty. Security is heightened. I don't expect them to be a factor."

Jack had thanked Alexander for his time and then had Sam summoned from the surface. He told her about the group and then they went on a readiness tour of the ship.

It was somehow fitting that they were together when the attack began. Jack and Sam were deep in the labyrinth that was Prometheus so they didn't see the orange-gold blasts of weaponry ripping the blackness of space. But they felt the impact against the ship's shields. The attack alert warning sounded urgently. A small group of fighters had broken off from one of the Mau Lo'an ships and swarmed the Prometheus with weapons blazing. There was a report of another group of fighters heading for the capital city. It was also somehow fitting that they were closest to the 302 bay. Jack stopped long enough to shout orders to Pendergast over the comm system to get the Prometheus on top of the capital city now.

"I want everyone with a locator beacon on this ship in the next sixty seconds, Colonel. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack and Sam burst into the command station of the fighter bay and found Major Rogers deploying the 302s.

Jack nodded towards the 302s on the other side of the reinforced safety glass.

"You got another couple of those?" he asked.

"I have one ready to go, sir. The pilot is out with a broken arm."

"We'll take it."

"Sir?" Sam asked. Things were moving a little too fast.

"You got a better idea of how we can be the most useful? Pendergast can command the ship. You got a better plan say it now."

"Fresh out of ideas sir," she answered. Truthfully staying on board Prometheus was not something she wanted to do; not if there was action she could take.

He turned back to Rogers. "Who's out there already?"

"Alpha and Gamma Flights, sir. Colonel Pickering and Colonel Ross respectively."

"Got it."

Sam's eyes flared open in anticipation as they raced towards the hangar deck.

"Flight suits?" she asked.

"No time. Grab a helmet. You want shotgun or the stick?"

"Shotgun."

Jack snorted. "Figures."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked as she scrambled up the ladder into the 302.

"I'm the better pilot. You're the better shot."

"Actually I thought I was better at both," Sam slid into the rear seat and strapped in. "You know we've never done this before," she added.

"Flown together? Yes we have."

"In a 302? Into combat?"

"First time for everything. You ready?"

"Preflight?"

"No time."

Jack decided later that he would have liked to have seen Sam's face when he blasted into open space when the bay doors were barely wide enough to get through. Her soft gasp and muffled curse were carried into his helmet by the comms.

"Hang on, R2," Jack said.

Sam muttered again and then said, clearly, "Sir! If that becomes my new call sign so help me…."

She cut off as another voice joined their conversation, "Welcome to the party, General. Relinquishing command."

"Negative!" Jack said, "Negative Colonel. We'll fly solo. You two keep your squads and do it like you practiced it."

"Yes, sir."

"Understood, sir."

All around them the 302s were running down incoming fighters and the black of space was lit up with weapons fire. The Prometheus was executing a graceful and purposeful turn to obey Jack's order to defend the city and recall their people.

Trusting his flight instincts above his tactical computer, Jack turned it off.

"You ready?" He asked Sam.

"Let's do this," she answered, grimly.

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	7. Chapter 7

The beach wasn't exactly the same as Jillian's beloved beach house in St. John. The sand was not quite sugar-white. But the ocean was warm and inviting, sparkling pale blue. All of those things were no doubt important to Jillian and she had seemed relaxed and happy during their swim. He was watching her standing in the bright afternoon sun, drying her hair with a towel. He got lost again for a moment, enchanted by the idea that this singularly amazing woman had agreed to be his.

Then he noticed she was staring at the sky and had stopped moving.

"Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"What's that?" She pointed up.

Daniel had to reach for his glasses first. When he followed the direction of her hand he stopped for a breath. Then another. All around them the other beach goers were standing up and pointing. A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd.

"It's the Prometheus," he said, coming to his feet.

"Making atmosphere?" Jillian questioned, "What would make Jack send her back?"

"Nothing good I can think of," he answered.

Daniel reached for his wife's hand standing on a Mau Lo'an beach…..

….And finished taking it standing on the bridge of the Prometheus. Noise and activity swarmed over them. He and Jillian were flanked by the geologists to their right and by Scotty, Annie, and Alexander North to their left.

The Whytes immediately erupted in emphatic protests.

"Colonel! What is going on? The Mau Lo'ans have just granted us access to their observatory platform. We were right in the middle of gathering crucial data on the volcano! That was a magnitude 6 earthquake and it caused several landslides near the summit. There are incidents of venting from new chambers as well as lava flow on the north slope. We had just detected a cyclicity in the harmonic tremors…"

Colonel Pendergast ignored Lamarr Whyte for most of his rant as he alternately took a report from one Airman about incoming Mau Lo'an Kekoa-class ships and from the Helm about setting a course over the city. It was Daniel who cut off the frustrated scientist.

"Dr. Whyte! Lamarr, listen. They've clearly got a situation here. I've been pulled off archaeological ruins in ways I thought would make my head explode but maybe we ought to find out what's going on," he said. If he felt odd about standing on the Bridge of a 304 wearing nothing but a wet swim suit and his glasses it didn't show.

"Dr. Jackson, I wish I had time to explain it to you," Colonel Pendergast said, "Suffice to say we are under attack by an unknown force of unknown strength and for unknown reasons. At the moment I need you all to clear the Bridge. Lawrence!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I need you in weapons."

"Yes, sir," Scotty was in motion without another word to anyone, vanishing through a doorway.

"Wait! Colonel, where's Jack? General O'Neill?"

"The General and Colonel Carter commandeered a 302 and joined the dogfight."

"Dogfight!" A chorus of voices repeated the word while Daniel said, "They did what?"

As if on cue a flight of Mau Lo'an fighters swept across the forward viewer. Orange-red weapons fire spat at the Prometheus, causing the 304's shields to visibly ripple with the force of the blasts. Plasma energy ebbed and flowed across the ship's hull and windows like a flooding river and then shimmered out of existence. The Bridge occupants were forced to close their eyes and look away for a moment. When they looked back they saw an angry swarm of 302s bearing down on the attacking Mau Lo'an ships. One of the 302s came racing in straight at the Prometheus, ducked under an enemy fighter by spinning 'upside down' beneath it. The 302s weapons systems lanced red bolts at the enemy ship until it started to come about in sheets, slowly disintegrating before erupting in a flash-fire. Then the 302 veered off at the last possible second, pulling up just before it would have hit the Prometheus. It seemed to stand on its tail, hovering like an ornament on a string. The maneuver had killed the 302's velocity and no doubt tested the g-loads of its occupants beyond normal parameters. It hung over the Prometheus for a breathtaking moment before rocketing straight 'up' and disappearing.

"Guess who _that_ was," Daniel said, drily.

Static came over the comm system and Jack's voice suddenly filled the Bridge.

"_Pendergast! You have everyone from the surface?"_

"Negative, General. We retrieved everyone except Dr. Rand."

An Airman came to them on some invisible order. He picked up the abandoned locator from the floor beside Alexander.

"Jack!" Daniel shouted, "What the hell is going on?"

"_Go to your quarters and _**_stay_**_ there, Daniel."_

Daniel's face set in the grim line that indicated how much he enjoyed being ordered around. By anyone. Ever. Jillian squeezed his hand and stepped closer.

"Daniel, please," she whispered urgently.

The Airman at the comm system spoke up. "Colonel, we have an incoming message from the _Uhane._"

"On visual, Airman," Pendergast said.

"_Prometheus, this is Commader Kaimano of the Uhane. Coming to your assistance. Do not fire! Repeat, do not fire."_

Pendergast looked at Daniel. Without the benefit of the translators, he had only understood every other word.

"Dr. Jackson?"

"He said his name is Commander Kaimano and he's here to help."

"Is there any indication that he's lying?" Pendergast asked.

"None that I can see," Daniel answered.

"With all respect, Commander," Pendergast said, "I have nothing but your word that you're here to help."

Daniel turned to the view screen and repeated what Pendergast had said, hands and fingers moving eloquently. Kaimano turned and gave an order that Daniel didn't translate.

"Colonel!" The Helmsman said, sharply, "_Uhane_ is opening fire on the hostiles, sir."

There was a flash of light on the forward viewer – a brief and blazing shower of white and red and orange. It was followed almost immediately by another.

"Two hostiles eliminated, Colonel."

"_Will that suffice, Colonel_?" Came the voice on the comm from the Kekao-class heavy cruiser. Daniel translated.

"That will do, Commander," Pendergast answered.

Commander Kaimano continued to speak, hands gesticulating for meaning and emphasis. Daniel watched intently. When Kaimano finished, Daniel turned to Pendergast again.

"He says that there's been a mutiny on board one of their ships, the _Makani_. The Bridge is being held by mutineers and they are intent on destroying the Earth people, or at very least driving us away."

Pendergast threw an order over his shoulder. "Helm, evasive maneuvers. Airman Michaels! Get those people off the Bridge!"

"Yes, sir.

"Dr. Jackson, I'd appreciate it if you could return to the Bridge in case I need you for communication. As soon as you're dressed, of course," Pendergast said, "I understand that General O'Neill ordered you to your quarters…."

"It's fine," Daniel said, "I wasn't going to follow the order anyway."

Airman Michaels started herding them towards the exit. Lamarr Whyte was still upset however.

"Colonel Pendergast I demand you send my wife and I back _immediately…"_

Alexander stepped between Whyte and the Colonel. "Lamarr, let them deal with this. The volcano has been there for thousands of years. It will still be there in a few hours," he said.

"Dad," Jillian spoke up. Her voice was almost as tight as her grip on Daniel's hand. "You really don't know what's going on either?"

Daniel glanced at his wife and could tell from the startled look in her eyes that she had been assuming her dad knew. Why she had thought that, Daniel didn't know.

"No, Baby Girl I'm sorry. I think it may have something to do with a small group of dissidents that don't want the treaty to be signed. It's probable they are the ones who commandeered the ship and attacked us."

They were out in the hall by this time, though it was no less chaotic there. The ship suddenly gave a hard shudder. The occupants of the corridor were tossed casually against the bulkheads. Daniel caught Jillian and pivoted so that he hit the steel wall and let her fall against him. Alexander caught Annie. The Whytes stumbled and caught each other.

"Dissidents?" Daniel repeated, incredulous, "No one said anything to us about dissidents."

"It's in my report," Alexander answered, "Doesn't anyone read those things?"

"Not the whole thing," Daniel admitted softly. There was an edge in his voice that made Jillian look at him sharply. His eyes had a glazed, cool look in them. She knew the look, the sound. She'd been using it to gauge Daniel Jackson for many years. His temper was on the rise.

The ship rocked again.

"Daniel, I'd really like to get somewhere safe," Jillian said, gripping him tightly with both hands, more to keep his attention than because she needed him.

"We _were_ somewhere safe," Daniel said. The tone of his voice was both seduction and threat and she was never quite sure how he managed it. "That beach had to be much safer than a ship that is under fire. I'm going to murder Jack if he doesn't get himself killed out there."

"Well we aren't going back to the beach," Jillian said. She trembled suddenly.

"You're cold," Daniel said, anxiously.

"I'm not wearing anything but a wet bathing suit."

Alexander turned to Airman Michaels. "We can find out way to our own quarters, Airman. Thank you." He pivoted back to the group, "Ladies and gentleman, I suggest we all take ourselves to a safe location."

Looking slightly less unhappy but still grim, the Whytes linked arms and set off down the shivering corridor. Alexander put his hand in the center of Annie's back and smiled at her, clearly intending to escort her to safety.

Daniel slipped his arm around Jillian's waist as they headed for the ladders that would take them to the deck where their quarters were located. As he pulled her in tight to his side she whispered.

"This is the part where you tell me everything is going to be all right."

"We'll be all right," he said, pressing conviction into his voice and into the way he held her shivering body until he felt the shivering stop.

"Okay," she said, with a tone of '_that's settled then'_ and she put her arm around him too.

(0)


	8. Chapter 8

Sam leaned her head back in the seat, took a breath to clear her head and switched off the ship-to-ship comm.

"You do that again and you'll fry the inertial dampers and we'll both black out," she said.

His reply was short. "Everything still online?"

Sam checked the array of lights and switches in front of her. All green and go.

"Yes," she answered.

There was a pause, a heartbeat of silence broken only by the sound of their breathing. Jack set the 302 up for another strafing run at an enemy ship. Sam took the shot and Jack deftly ducked the debris, wrenching the stabilizers in opposite directions to spin them out of the way.

When he spoke his voice was gruff and tinted with concern. "You okay?"

"Yes," she answered again.

There was another pause, then he said, "You are a rock. _My _rock. You know that. Right?"

He had turned his head slightly when he spoke and she could see the shadowed planes of his ruggedly beautiful face. Sam swallowed the sudden tightness in her throat. Jack rarely let his guard down and when he did it was in the abrupt, offhand way he had just used.

He was such a guy sometimes – all right, _all_ the time. She had always somehow thought that would make him arrogant and thoughtless in bed, lost in his own virility and driven by it. But he wasn't. He was attentive, utterly focused on her, his own pleasure sometimes an afterthought - and she loved that about him.

And _damn_ the man could fly. He flew as if he was a part of the ship, locked in like one its integral systems. He flew like he did this every day; not like he had been walking his missions for the last eight years and now flew a desk.

"Jack, there's two on our six!"

"I see them."

An enemy fighter was right behind them and gaining. Jack banked hard to starboard and flipped them upside down and back towards Prometheus. He streaked towards the 304 with weapons fire ripping past them, barely missing.

"Sir!"

"Hold fire!" Jack ordered.

Sam understood. What he was doing required a precision that couldn't be tampered with. Firing from the 302 right now was a very bad idea.

He waited until they were nearly on top of the Prometheus and then waited a second longer. They were so close now that Sam swore she would see personnel inside the Prometheus through the windows. The ship's designation – painted high on its side – loomed before them like a wall. Jack hit the reverse thrusters, dove and banked starboard again.

The 302 nearly stalled, dropping like a stone for a gut-wrenching moment before Jack got it leveled out. The closest enemy fighter had no time to respond to the maneuver and it rocketed over them into the side of the Prometheus, exploding against the shields in a brief flare of fire and sparkling metal parts.

"Take the other one!" Jack shouted.

Engaging the forward thrusters, Jack wheeled the ship around and raced along the top of the Prometheus, darting from side to side and letting the bigger ships shields absorb the weapons fire. When he reached the tail of the ship he pulled up into a steep skyward climb. As they broke away Sam blasted the other fighter into very small hot pieces.

He set her up for another strafing run and shot between two enemy fighters with only a handful of air molecules between them. They were so taken by surprise that the few shots they got off were ineffective. A moment later there was a brilliant double flash and they were out of the fight for good, thanks to Sam's hand on weapons' control.

Jack abruptly tipped the fighter on its starboard side. Three sizzling blades of energy shot by the 302 a hairs' breadth away, one nearly taking their portside engine. He dropped the 302 into a series of stomach-twisting spirals as withering patterns of overlapping weapons fire lit up the air they had just vacated. The fighters following them vanished in a blast of fire from the_ Uhane_.

_Damn,_ Sam thought, the man could _fly_.

"Sam?"

"Yes," she answered as she gave her inner ear a stern mental dressing down. This was really not a good time to get dizzy. "I'm okay. Ummm, where are we going?"

For the first time she noticed that Jack now had them on a trajectory that would take them back out into space. They were screaming towards the void.

"We get out there will you recognize the ship that attacked us – this _Makani_?"

She _hated_ it when he started answering her questions with his own questions. It meant she wasn't going to even get a clue what he was thinking.

"Yes."

"Is it the same class as the ship you toured the other day?"

"Kekao-class heavy cruiser. Yes."

"Do you remember how to get to the Bridge?"

"They didn't show us the Bridge."

"That's not what I asked, Colonel."

"Yes I can get to the Bridge."

"Good."

"So where are we going?"

"Hang on."

"Jack!" She protested.

"Welcome to Special Forces, Colonel," said Brigadier General Jack O'Neill.

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	9. Chapter 9

"Any idea how we're going to get on board?" Sam asked.

"Yes, but not a good one," Jack answered. There was a pause. "You won't like it."

"Does it involve crashing?"

"Probably," Jack answered.

Sam muttered another muffled curse.

"Sir. May I point out that we have no idea how to identify an enemy combatant once we're aboard and no weapons, no C4, no tactical gear at all, not even a pocket knife?"

"Duly noted, Colonel." He paused, "You want to abort?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Then we're go."

"Yes, sir."

"And by the way, Colonel?"

"Yes?"

"I actually do have a pocket knife."

Sam smiled. "Duly noted. Anything else?"

"Shoelaces, half a pack of gum."

"Could come in handy."

From behind him, Sam could see the muscle shift in Jack's jaw that meant he had smiled. They left atmosphere behind them and were suddenly surrounded by stars. There was a cluster of brighter stars at their eleven o'clock and Jack set an erring course for it, hitting the thrusters and heading out at maximum speed. Sam felt a slight pressure on her body and then nothing as the inertial dampeners compensated.

"What's the crew complement?" Jack asked as the lights began to resolve into the shapes of the Mau Lo'an battle fleet.

"A Kekao-class cruiser in orbit has a skeleton crew of fifty. So a worst case scenario is that we face an enemy force that outmans us 25 to 1;and that's after we crash our only means of escape."

"I like how you're looking on the bright side," Jack said. "Can you get Prometheus back on the comm?"

"Yes," Sam answered, flipping switches.

The ships were tubular in shape, slightly smaller than Prometheus. They had a sleek design with weaponry hidden behind panels that opened to bring them to bear only when they were needed. The fleet was currently bristling with open weapons' bays and it formed a ball around a single vessel hovering in the center.

"Go ahead, sir," Sam said.

"Prometheus," Jack said.

"_We're here, General," _It was Prendergast who answered.

"Get me Dr. Jackson," Jack said.

"_I'm right here," _Daniel's voice crackled over the comm.

Jack gave a short, derisive snort. "I thought I told you to go to your quarters and stay there," he said.

"_And I thought we worked that out a long time ago,"_ Daniel answered. "_What do you want, Jack_?"

"I need an update from the Mau Lo'an commander about this mutiny. Have they that got it contained?"

"_You think they're going to give sensitive military information to me_?"

"I think they failed to keep visiting dignitaries safe from a rebel uprising and they better tell me what I want to know," Jack answered.

Sam recognized the tone in Jack's voice. He was angry – angry at the Mau Lo'ans and angry that he had to rely on Daniel to translate the information he needed.

But Jack had always trusted Daniel and he knew that Daniel knew what Jack needed – and that Daniel would get it for him. There was silence on the comm for a short time and Jack used the time to get them closer to the blockade.

"No weapons fire," Jack commented. His voice was now almost sleepy and that was Jack at his most dangerous.

"They either don't know what's happening on the _Makani_ or they do and are holding fire. Either way it's probable they're hoping there are still personnel on board that haven't mutinied. There's no attempt to fire from the _Makani_ and they haven't launched more fighters. But the Mau Lo'ans are still not in charge of whatever is happening on the _Makani._

Jack grunted, which was his version of high praise. Sam was torn between pleasure and exasperation. At some point Jack was going to stop 'training' her and realize that she wasn't new at this. She was in fact the leader of the SGC's most elite and decorated team; and she hadn't told him anything just now that he didn't already know.

"_Jack?"_ Daniel's voice asked.

"Right here," Jack answered, "What did you find out?"

"_They've got the Makani surrounded and it appears to be a standoff at the moment._"

"That much I already know," Jack replied.

"_What? How can you know that? Where the hell are you?"_

"Getting ready to run the blockade. What else can you tell me?"

There was a hesitation and Sam could clearly tell that Daniel was reining in his temper before answering.

"_The mutineers have the Bridge and the fighter bays. They used a chemical gas to render the crew unconscious and then locked them in the Brig. Kaimano has no information on the number of people in the Brig as opposed to the number of mutineers. There was fifty eight on board at the time of the attack on the Prometheus_._ Jack, what are you _going_ to do?"_

"I'm going to end this," Jack said, then quietly to Sam, "Kill the comm."

It cut off on Daniel's loud, "_Ja-"_

"You're freaking him out," Sam commented.

She got a louder and almost derisive grunt in response. "When you see him remind him that karma is a bitch."

Sam couldn't answer because Jack chose that moment to 'dive' the 302 in a heart-stopping vertical drop through the center of the blockade. In the floating sea of battle cruisers it was unclear whether the small fighter had been spotted. Not taking any chances Jack feinted to port and then bore down on the _Makani._

"Can you warn me before you do that?" Sam asked, trying not to watch as Jack flew 'upside down' beneath the Makani.

"Next time, promise," he said. "Hangar Bay?"

"Two, one on each side. They open like the weapons bays. You'll have to check to see if one or both are open. If they are open the bay still may not be pressurized."

"Okay."

Jack flipped the 302 over in a perfectly executed barrel role and then pivoted in another sharp turn to port. It didn't take long to find the open bay door. Jack did a fly by so close Sam could see their reflection in the shining metal surface of the ship.

"It's open," he commented, unnecessarily.

"And there are people walking around, so it's pressurized."

"Sam?"

"Yes?"

"I said I would warn you next time. So hang on."

As Jack put them in another sharp descent and then hauled the little fighter around and put it on a direct course with the yawning opening of the hangar bay. For Sam it looked smaller than an aircraft carrier floating in the vastness of the open ocean. Jack was coming in at speed and there wasn't going to be any hook to stop them once they made atmosphere and were heading for the back wall of the bay.

'Hang on' would be the least optimal thing she could do. A little less than a microsecond past between Jack aiming for the bay doors and the blackness of space suddenly giving away to the brightly lit and cavernous main hangar. Sam was slammed back in her seat as Jack wrestled with reverse thrusters on full power while dodging Mau Lo'an fighter planes, stacked crates and people who were frantically diving for cover.

The 302 hit the flight deck, bounced and the reverse thrusters screamed as Jack attempted to brake the craft. The rear bulkhead loomed closer and closer. Jack brought the fighter down on the deck with a jaw cracking thud and held it there with what seemed like the force of his own will. The 302 went skidding across the floor with a screech of metal on metal. They slowed with the bulkhead getting more and more imposing, did a shaky half turn and slid to an unsteady halt. Lights and warning chimes went off all over the 302.

"Jack!" Sam said, urgently, "Weapons?"

"You want to fire them in here? Take out a wall and lose the pressure?"

"No, but…."

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to. Jack's heartfelt curse told her he had seen. About a half dozen people were emerging from behind cover, approaching across the hangar with weapons raised with intent and purpose. There was nothing but solid bulkhead behind the 302.

"Options?" Sam asked, tensely.

"Only one," Jack's voice was flat. "Surrender."

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	10. Chapter 10

Jack and Sam exited the 302 with their hands in the air in what they hoped was the universal sign of surrender. The weapons pointed at them were wrist-mounted triangles with controls that sat snug in the palm of the hand. Jack had no doubt they were deadly. When Jack and Sam had slipped down the wing of the fighter and were standing on their feet, their captors roughly checked them for weapons and then exchanged a rapid flow of dialogue in their incomprehensible language of words and gestures. Jack caught about every third word of it but not enough to understand. He glanced sidelong at Sam without moving another muscle. She gave him the slightest lift of one shoulder in reply. She hadn't understood either.

They hadn't been shot on sight, which was good. Alive was always good. Two of the Mau Lo'ans moved in behind Jack and Sam and shoved them forward. Jack had not missed the looks the men gave Sam. Silently he cursed. Why did the galaxy seem to be populated by people with dark eyes and dark hair? Sam shown like a diamond in the sun everywhere he took her; and the baggy blue fatigues didn't seem to help at all. It had always been dangerous to go into the unknown. Going into the unknown with a beautiful woman he cared about more than he should had doubled that danger. He supposed that in reality Sam had never been at more risk than any of them. Daniel got just as many speculative looks as Sam; and there were always the captors who wanted nothing more than to humiliate. But Jack was more protective of Sam than he was of the others and if that wasn't fair, it was still a fact.

As they were marched out into the deserted hallways with weapons pointed at the backs, Jack forced his hands open and rotated his wrists to get rid of the tension. He didn't intend to break any of his own bones in the next few minutes.

Sam saw the movement in her peripheral vision and knew what it meant. It was a call to action. Jack's body was relaxed and much too still, considering that he was walking. Sam understood from her own training in hand-to-hand combat that considerable damage could be done to the body by twisting the wrong way in the wrong moment, or the incorrect planting of weight in the face of an oncoming blow. She also knew from seven years in the field with Jack that he protected himself at all times. He was almost skittish about his joints, instinctively shielding knees and wrists and elbows – especially knees.

He was always flexing and bending, never extended too far; always anticipating, as he sensed the oncoming sweep of a weapon his knees would bend ahead of the impact, attenuating the force without technically yielding. Jack never knelt of his own volition, controlling the amount of damage even as he fought.

The man walking beside her was getting ready to move with deadly force. Sam prepared to move with him. Jack could probably take out two armed men on his own but she wasn't going to let him. His shoulders were already up and back but Sam knew the strike wouldn't come until she saw him rise up on the balls of his feet. When that moment came she'd only be half a breath behind him. She almost lost that nanosecond. She was a little stunned by the speed and violence of Jack's attack.

Without a sound Jack pivoted on his left foot and drove his elbow into his captor's face with a force that shattered the bone in the man's nose. He doubled over with an angry cry of pain only to meet Jack's balled fist coming up to impact his jaw. As the man went backwards with the force of the blow Jack kicked his legs out from under him. His head hit the metal deck and he lost consciousness. Jack leaned over and started stripping off the wrist weapon.

In the meantime, Sam had also spun around. She didn't have the height or upper body strength to pull off an elbow to the face with the same effectiveness as Jack. So when she pivoted she also bent over, stepped forward and abruptly stood up, driving her head full force into her captor's jaw, snapping his head back. Stunned he staggered back and Sam used the lesson she had learned watching Jack protect his knees. She leapt off the ground and drove her feet into the man's kneecap and was pretty sure she managed to break it. His brutal holler of pain filled the corridor. Sam didn't pause. She kicked him - hard – in the chin, heard his teeth click together and then watched his body sag as he blacked out. She got his weapon off his wrist and stood up to find Jack sweeping her with an appreciative look.

"Nice," he drawled.

"What now?"

"Bridge," he answered.

"Wouldn't it make sense to get the crew out of the Brig and let them take back the ship?"

"Do you know where the Brig is?"

"No."

"Then we take back the Bridge."

"Just you and I?" Sam said.

"Yep," Jack looked back at their two would-be captors lying bloodied and unconscious on the floor. "I almost feel sorry for whoever is on the Bridge."

They strapped the weapons to their wrists and took a few practice shots at the far wall. Red bolts of energy raced down the hall and sizzled into the bulkhead, leaving charred and smoking streaks where smooth metal had once been. It was louder than Jack had intended though he look suitably impressed as he hustled Sam in the direction of a ladder leading to the next deck up.

They climbed to the next deck and crept into the corridor but it was also deserted. He gave Sam a moment to get her bearings and then surrendered the lead.

Studying the weapons on his wrist, Jack said, "I hope these were in the negotiations."

"After this, maybe it's not too late to work them in," Sam said.

(0)

They climbed their way steadily towards the Bridge and still didn't encounter another breathing soul. It seemed that luck was on their side. There had not been many mutineers, unless they were all on the Bridge and Jack doubted it. It would explain why they had attacked the Prometheus with small fighters and not with the _Makani_ itself.

At last they came out onto the deck Sam said should contain the Bridge. It wasn't hard to find at that point. They could hear loud, excited and angry voices all talking at once coming from just beyond an open door. They crept to the door, took up positions on either side and cautiously peered inside.

There were about seven men in the room, all talking at once and as nearly as Jack could tell it didn't look like it had been a very well planned mutiny after the initial takeover of the ship. He had told Sam to use her weapon only to wound if possible. Now he held her eyes with his own and gave her instructions through a series of silent hand signals.

He wanted her to go in low, to the left and take out as many as possible. He'd take the right.

They moved and chaos erupted in the room. Sam took out two of them with blasts to the leg from her wrist weapon, hoping it would only wound. She felt more than saw the return fire and ducked, diving across the room in a barrel roll that ended with her on one knee firing point blank at the man swinging around to aim at her. He fell back with a shocked cry, went down and stayed there.

Jack in the meantime had come into the room not just firing with startling accuracy but using all the advantage of his height and training. He took down two with the weapon, another by getting in close enough to smash the weapon against the back of the mutineer's skull and the last with a roundhouse left that hit the man's face with the force of a hammer striking an anvil.

The whole thing was over in less than two minutes. The silence that followed was deafening. Jack shut the door and, after a moment of looking, secured the lock.

"You have any idea where the comm is?" he asked.

"Give me a minute," she answered. She had already sat down in a chair that had the biggest console in front of it, assuming it must be some kind of central control.

"Get me Daniel if you can."

"Okay."

A moment later Sam had the Prometheus online and was asking for Daniel.

"_Jack!" _There was a panicked frantic sense of relief in Daniel's voice.

"Tell Commander Kaimano to have the fleet stand down. Sam and I have the Bridge of the _Makani_."

"_You what_?"

"You heard me. Now tell him. Ask him how he wants to get on board to take over and offer him the Asgard beam if he wants."

"_Okay, hang on_."

While they were waiting waiting, Jack strolled almost casually over to stand in front of Sam and leaned over the console, resting on his elbows.

Sam looked up at him. "What?"

Jack grinned and let all the love and hot desire he felt show in his eyes.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you are right now?" He asked in a voice thick with lust and bordering on laughter.

She leaned up a little so that they were almost kissing.

"Sir, she said, softly, "Not in front of the prisoners."

"Oh," Jack said, going along with it, "How about later?"

"You gotta deal," she said and this time their lips did brush, tenderly and full of promise.

Daniel's voice interrupted, "_Jack?"_

"Go ahead, Daniel," Jack said.

"_All right, this is what Kaimano wants to do….."_

(0)


	11. Chapter 11

Daniel picked up the length of tanned animal hide and ran it through his hands. It was soft, supple, exquisitely made and as far as he was concerned there just wasn't enough of it. He looked at Ka'eo over the rim of his glasses. His eyes were all wide and innocent, eyebrows raised in a way that was almost childlike, a way that most people wouldn't – or possibly couldn't – argue with. He exuded an innate quality of good that drew people to him. Jack had watched Daniel off world for seven years. Dragged him around with that innocent face and a mouth that could use words like a stiletto; watched him piss off half the people they met and make the other half want to take him home and sometimes there was an overlap in that Venn diagram.

"No," Daniel said, as calmly and politely as he could manage. There was an edge of iron-willed stubbornness in the voice that Jack recognized.

"No?" Jack repeated, looking stunned, "You're our word guy and the best you can come up with is 'no'?"

Daniel turned that innocent look on Jack. "What were you going to say?" he asked.

"I was going to say 'Oh _hell_ no'." Jack answered emphatically. He hadn't gotten within spitting distance of the folded pieces of suede. He was in fact eyeing them as if it was possible the animal they had come from would suddenly rise up and attack. Not much chance of that, Daniel knew. These had come from the local equivalent of domesticated cattle.

"I do not understand your objections, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

Jack turned to him with the stunned expression permanently fixed on his face. "You wouldn't," he admitted, "Since a _loincloth_ was basically part of your armor for a hundred years."

Jack swore he saw a wicked twinkle in the Jaffa's dark eyes before Teal'c looked away, choosing a length of suede and wrapping it around his waist to check for length. It ended just above his knee.

Teal'c had arrived two days earlier, summoned by Jack to help root out the dissenting group and bring them to justice. He had come with Ishta, in sufficient warrior dress and attitude to impress the Mau Lo'ans about Earth's other allies. Conversely Jack had been impressed by the Mau Lo'ans information gathering agencies and how much they learned about the dissident group and how quickly they learned it. They had either been willing to share this information with the Tau'ri because of the recent attacks – or been very much convinced of the wisdom of doing so by the presence of the very large and very imposing Jaffa scowling at them over Jack's shoulder.

The raids on the various 'safe' houses and hiding places had gone off simultaneously and without a hitch, with SG1 – _all _of SG1 as it had been at the start – right in the middle of taking down the leadership. It felt good to Jack. It felt _right._

With the dissidents in custody the Treaty had gone forward. The signing was set for the following morning to be followed by a three day celebration feast –

Which brought them to this moment. Their guide had rather delightedly come to their palatial quarters with the garb that was traditional feast wear. The men were aghast. The women were happily picking through the outfits trying to decide what color they liked, even Ishta.

At Daniel's firm and polite no and Jack's even more firm pronouncement, Ka'eo had looked at first confused and then concerned.

"It is our tradition. To return to the early days….."

"Ka'eo," Jillian interrupted, "Could you leave us alone with the men for a moment?"

Ka'eo hesitated, then nodded and left the common room, quietly shutting the door.

Jillian looked at Daniel. "Do you have any idea how hot you'd look in that?"

"Do you have any idea how cold I'd be in that?" he countered.

"Daniel, it's eighty-two degrees at midnight here," she answered.

"Jill," he sounded a little desperate, like a man who knew he was about to lose an argument with his wife. "It's a _loincloth._"

"I think you're supposed to wear the shell necklaces too," Sam pointed out, helpfully, "Oh and the belt with the shells and feathers."

"Right," Daniel said, "because that will make it so much warmer."

"I don't know, I think this could be fun," Sam commented. She was holding a strip of fuchsia cloth that was the sole upper body covering. Jillian had one in a lovely shade of coral.

Daniel and Jack both eyed the slender pieces of material.

"Yeah," Jack said, "It could come in handy if we need to _floss_."

"It's not that small," Sam said, shaking her head at him.

"It's not that big either," Daniel said. He sighed and indicated the loincloths. "And neither are these."

"Come on, Daniel, whatever happened to 'anthropologists do it all the time. They dress and live as the people they're studying'," Sam asked.

Daniel sighed heavily. "I'm never going to hear the end of that am I?"

"Nope," Sam said, congenially. She picked up a saucy skirt made of woven grass dyed red and held them up in front of her, "I like the pink one but what do you think of the red one or the black?"

"I think Annie should wear the red one," Jillian said," and Ishta would look stunning in the black."

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.

"Really?" Ishta asked, picking up and holding the waistband of the skirt against her hips experimentally.

Exasperated to his breaking point, Jack said, "I think no one is wearing anything but their own clothes!"

"I think Sam has a point," Jillian said.

"I do?"

"Yes. From a cultural standpoint this is important to our new allies and we should show a willingness to live and dress as they do. Ka 'eo made it sound as if this was important."

"Actually that was Daniel's point, not mine," Sam said.

"And I'm not an anthropologist!" Jack said.

Sam gave him a wicked look and said, "Today you are." Then she turned back to the mirror as she and Ishta held up the fuchsia and black garb for a close scrutiny.

Jack glared at Sam's turned back, caught Daniel's eye and mouthed, '_today you are' _with an aggravated smart-ass eye roll.

Daniel looked past him at Jillian. "_C'est comme si ils sont déjà maries."_

She nodded. "_Oui, j'ai remarqué que_."

"Something you two want to share with the class?" Jack demanded.

"No," Daniel answered, bluntly, "You?"

Jack managed to give him an innocent look that was not quite as convincing as Daniel's own.

"Daniel," Jillian said. There was warning in her voice.

During the recent trip SG1 had taken to Jack's Minnesota cabin, Sam had broken down and admitted to Jillian that she and Jack were finally together. Daniel had then guessed. Jillian had sworn him to secrecy but Daniel had been baiting Jack ever since they had returned; and Jillian was getting tired of it.

A muscle in Daniel's jaw twitched. He liked baiting Jack. He could do it in his sleep and he hated secrets and lies.

The girls went back to trying on bandeau tops and grass skirts over their BDUs, chattering happily and exchanging colors. The men remained silent for a few minutes until Jack said, "We're going to wind up wearing these things aren't we?"

Daniel sighed. "Oh yeah, we are."

(0)

C'est comme si ils sont déjà maries – it's as if they are already married.

Oui, j'ai remarqué que – Yes, I noticed that

Bonus points to anyone who can name the episode Sam is referencing.


	12. Chapter 12

They had once again worn their formal wear to the actual Treaty signing – Jack and Sam and the other members of the Air Force in their dress blues, Jillian in a dress conservative enough for church, he in his sharpest black suit. Teal'c and Ishta had opted for Jaffa robes. (Knowing that Jack - who liked to wear t-shirts purchased sometime in the mid-80s and was more comfortable in his BDus made it all the more striking to watching him now – ramrod straight and sober as a judge, every inch the Air Force General and representative of his government.)

But all formality was dismissed as the evening approached and the expansive gardens of the government complex were opened for the feast. It was typical of a South Pacific luau, with low tables and seating on blankets and pillows. The women were resplendent on every possible color in the visible spectrum, and Daniel thought, especially the women of the SGC. The vivid colors of their native garb suited them. Their only accessories were rings of flowers around their wrists and ankles and a circlet of leaves worn like a crown. The only adjustment they had made to any of their costumes was a sash of brightly patterned material that Ishta was wearing from her right shoulder to her left hip. Teal'c had a matching sash wrapped around his waist because no one really felt like trying to explain a symbiote pouch to the Mau Lo'ans. Scotty looked like a displaced Viking warrior but he was in a good mood about the whole thing, embracing the experience with his typical exuberance. Keeper Rand, who had been found after the earthquake, no worse for the wear. He had been investigating the cleaning robots, trying to find where they had been built. He claimed he'd lost his locator beacon, which hadn't kept Jack from chewing him out about it. Keeper looked like an unruly tropical bird but he was also having a grand time.

Daniel had learned on his honeymoon that, while his wife had been born and raised in England and lived all over the world, her soul must have been born on a tropical island. She wore the native garb as naturally as he had worn his Abydonian robes; and though she was pregnant no one could tell yet.

Except Daniel who was too familiar with her lovely, long-limbed body not to see that it was somehow fuller already, even more feminine. If it was possible he was even more in love with her now – now that this incredible aura of ethereal magic surrounded her. He'd bought her a stack of books about pregnancy and birth and the first year of childhood. She had set them aside, kissed him and said, "I'd rather just count the weeks and surrender to whatever this is going to be and make love to you." The books were still unopened on the coffee table downstairs.

Since the moment he had seen her in the coral colored grass skirt, floral bracelets and strapless top he'd been flooded with desire – and it was going to be hours before he could do anything about it. He had reached for her hand, speechless. She had rekindled his life from the cold ashes it had been and it was reinforced over and over every time he caught fire for her. The hot look she swept him with almost stopped his heart and made him wonder at the ability of this knee length loincloth to keep everyone from knowing exactly what it was he wanted.

All the men, including Alexander North but with the exception of Jack had submitted to the single wrap of cloth around their hips, rings of vines around their wrists and ankles and the feathered belts. Jack had either flatly refused or lost his on the way to the garden. He was also the only man at the dinner wearing a t-shirt with the loincloth. But he said if Teal'c could add the sash to his clothing then he, Jack, could add a t-shirt.

Daniel quickly discovered that he wasn't the only man from the SGC to be feeling a little possessive of his female partner, though what Alexander North thought of his daughter's current dress (or lack of it) Daniel couldn't begin to guess. Scotty was practically glued to Annie – who was dazzling in her bright red outfit. Jack had taken up a place under a tree with both hands wrapped around a carved wooden mug. He had not taken his eye off Sam, even if he was trying to look like he wasn't the least bit interested in where she was. Daniel had been on too many covert operations with Jack not to exactly where the man was looking at any given time.

Only Teal'c didn't seem overly concerned about Ishta; perhaps because there was no official declaration of any kind between them or perhaps because he knew Ishta could eviscerate any man who attempted an unwanted advance. Daniel was briefly separated from Jillian, only to find her a bit later chatting with a small group of locals. Her lovely hands were moving to indicate she was speaking the native language. In Daniel's opinion, the men in the group were all looking a bit too fascinated by her.

He was starting to join them when Teal'c intercepted him, blocking the way like an avalanche on a highway.

"She loves you," the Jaffa said without preliminary, "You are the sun that lights her from within. Without you she is nothing but shadow."

The message had at first gone straight over Daniel's head. "I know," he said, impatiently.

"Then you should not take any actions to indicate that you do not trust that love."

This time the message penetrated. He blinked and looked at Teal'c, which required dragging his hungry gaze away from Jillian.

"I kind of feel sorry for them now," Daniel said.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, "There is only one man she will leave here with tonight, and that is you."

With a slight inclination of his head Teal'c had moved away to join O'Neill.

The feast began in the late afternoon and the food was amazing. With Alexander's help they knew which drinks were alcoholic and which ones weren't and not surprisingly Jack settled on something deep gold and frothy that was the local beer.

The night fell and the party became lit with candlelight, torches and the rising moon. From around the edges of the celebration drummers appeared and a cheer went up from the locals. Ka'eo went to Sam and whispered something, who then went to round up the rest of the SGC. Jillian was sitting beside Daniel at the time so Sam explained to both of them at the same time,

"They want to know if we want to join in the dancing. Annie, Ishta and the Whytes said yes. Teal'c said maybe. Scotty and Keeper said no. General O'Neill said hell no."

Daniel snorted. "Not surprising," he said.

But Jillian was already starting to get up. He caught her hand. Even with the flickering torchlight reflecting back in his glasses Jillian could see the concern.

"It's just dancing, Daniel. I'm not going to free climb a mountain," she said to reassure him.

He hesitated and he felt the way her hand tightened on his.

"Okay," he relented, before the fight could start. "Just, have mercy on me and don't do anything strenuous."

"You're not going to dance with me?" She seemed surprised.

"I don't think they're going to be waltzing, Jillian," Daniel pointed out, "This isn't the Broadmoor on Friday night."

Jillian smiled, leaned over and kissed him.

"Have fun," he said.

The girls vanished into the darkness at the edge of the celebration and the men of the SGC gathered at the same low table and settled down on the grass mats. Jack arrived last with a pitcher of beer and enough mugs for everyone.

"So what are we going to be seeing now?" Jack asked, taking a long swallow from his mug.

"Something on the order of a hula, I suspect," Daniel answered,

Jack paused before he took another drink. "Really?"

"The hula?" Scotty asked. "Annie's told me a little bit about the history of the hula. The dance was designed to honor the gods and to preserve their history. Originally it was performed topless, which of course the first European explorers found scandalous."

"It was performed _what?_" Jack asked.

Scotty seemed to suddenly remember who he was seated with.

"Sorry, sir," Scotty said, "I'm sure that's not the case here and anyway none of our personnel would…. I mean, I don't think…."

"Captain!" Jack snapped.

"Yes, General, sir!" Scotty snapped back, his spine straightening.

"Stop talking and drink your beer."

"Yes, sir," Scotty said and raised his mug to comply.

A moment later an older man and woman wearing traditional garb walked out into the open area between the tables. The woman raised a conch shell and blew four long mournful notes, turning as she did to face each of the four directions. The man then beat his tall staff on the ground four times and then began a slow chant accompanied by hand signs that had become familiar if still not understandable. Every eye at the table turned towards Daniel.

"Ummm," Daniel's gaze riveted on the man. "He's welcoming us as new friends and powerful allies, celebrating us coming through the Gate and opening a galaxy of possibilities for the Mau Lo'an people…. He invites us now to see the story of how they came here and defeated their warlord masters."

When the man stopped chanting a new sound could be heard from the darkness – an insistent clapping of heavy sticks. It accompanied the arrival of about twenty dancers, male and female, all wearing vivid yellow. They came in using a rhythmic two step march, hips swaying in time to the clapping of the sticks in their hands. Their voices were raised in another chant, not quite a song, but a more lyrical utterance of their language.

Daniel stopped translating. It was not the kind of performance that welcomed outside noise. Even without being able to understand all the words, the audience was drawn in, caught by the cadence and the beautiful movements of the dancers as they moved as one unit across the grass. The dance transcended language barriers.

Jack leaned over and softly asked Daniel, "Where are the girls?"

Daniel gave him a puzzled sideways look for a moment and then said, "Oh! You mean our girls. Sam? Jillian?"

"Yes," Jack hissed.

"This is a choreographed dance, probably taught to them from infancy as part of their oral tradition. They wouldn't have taught this to any of us," Daniel explained

"Then where are they?" Jack asked.

"I'm sure they're just waiting until the floor is cleared and they invite us to join in."

When the dance finally ended the group turned towards their visitors and bowed from the waist. Alexander North and said some very nice things about their hosts and how honored they were by the offering of the dance, which Daniel quietly translated for the benefit of everyone at their table. Then the dancers left the open space, marching and clapping their batons together accompanied by the applause of the audience. The woman blew on the conch shell and the man invited everyone to join them in celebratory dance. The drummers who had until now been waiting quietly began to beat an urgent frantic rhythm. From the edges of the gathering people poured into the space and began to dance, free form, something earthy and free. It took the men from the SGC less than thirty seconds to find the women they were looking for. It took several seconds longer for them to find their voices.

"Are they….?" Scotty asked.

"Well they aren't topless at least," Daniel managed.

"But they are…."

"Wearing some kind of body oil?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Scotty breathed.

"They weren't that shiny when they left, it must be a part of the celebration," Daniel reached for the beer mug - that he had not touched until now – and took a healthy swallow.

"Oh," Scott exhaled again, "This could be really interesting."

Eyes riveted on his wife, Daniel drank again and said, "It already is."

(0)


	13. Chapter 13

Jack was good at stealth. Possibly not as good as he was at blowing things up but still considered an expert at slipping away in and out of shadows when the need arose for it. When he realized that he didn't want to be one of the men staring slack-jawed, stunned and more than slightly aroused as the woman he loved danced in the firelight he took advantage of the distraction to quietly leave the table and find a dark secluded hiding place.

Seven years of Gate travel, seven years of being in each other's lives on an almost constant basis and who knew that Sam could do _that_?

Certainly he had not.

She had told him that she'd started a new workout routine with Jillian and Annie that involved dancing. But Jack had been flashing back to the aerobics craze of the 80s – something jerky and cardio that involved a lot of jumping around.

Not something that looked like vertical sex.

Not what Sam was currently doing, shining in the firelight, laughing, sometimes with her head thrown back in delicious abandon.

Considering that Jack had been more than slightly aroused just from the native garb Sam had chosen to wear, and now he was starting to suffer in earnest. In fact, considering the length of the dinner he was fast approaching the point where the TV commercials recommended seeking medical attention.

He should have felt guilty for watching her from the shadow of the grove of palm trees and heavy ferns at the edge of the dance space. He didn't spy on his own team, for gods' sake. He didn't spy on her. He had long suspected there were too many others who did spy on SG1 but he wasn't one of them. But at the moment, and for her own good, he couldn't be caught staring at her openly so this was the best he could do under the circumstances.

There was an advantage to being part of a recognized couple. Jack understood this. None of the men danced too close to Jillian or Annie – or god forbid too close to Ishta. He wasn't sure what Scott Lawrence would do if someone bothered Annie. Daniel would be all over the man who got too close to Jillian and it would look like a snake strike, no warning. Teal'c well, honestly Teal'c would probably just stand and smile while Ishta took care of the problem on her own.

But there was an undeclared open season on Sam apparently. He couldn't eviscerate some poor local just for looking at her or dancing too close in much too suggestive ways. But Jack was quickly reaching the point where he just couldn't _stand this _anymore. His hand was shaking so hard he couldn't finish his beer, which just sucked.

He was close to being paralyzed in a state of agonizing arousal just watching her fire-drenched body moving to the drums; torn between not wanting to ever stop watching her and marching our on the dance floor, taking her hand and dragging her off into some private shadowed place with him. If he had to stand here in this state of indecision for much longer he was going to just fucking lose it.…

_Duty honor responsibility sacrifice good of the planet good of the program….._

Fuck that, he was _dying_ here and they had already crossed the line anyway and he was going to DC in a month so who knew how many times they would have to be together before that.

Jack stood up straight and drained the last of the ale. They had walked each other safely from one side of a battlefield to another. Getting from one side of dance floor to another shouldn't be a problem. Decision made he walked out of the shadows, dropped the mug on the first serving tray he came to and began weaving in and out of the dancers.

He didn't exactly grab her hand. In fact he didn't touch her at all. Sam turned before he had quite reached her, always aware of him and where he was. She didn't turn all the way, just enough to look at him over her shoulder. It was devastating. She had to know that particular view of her was his favorite. With that much skin showing and her hips moving in an ancient rhythm it was his undoing.

Jack leaned in close to her ear, though he kept his body back from hers, maintaining a civilized distance.

"Come with me," he said.

He walked towards her with his back to most of the torches so now it was cast in shadow. His eyes were always unfathomable in the dark. His tone was not. It was sultry, the intent unmistakable. In the fire lit half of her face that he could see, there was a brief narrowing of her eyes and brow, the momentary reaction of resistance to being ordered around outside of the battlefield. So he added, "Please?"

She turned to look at him fully and now her eyes were unwavering, her head tilted a little, thrown back just a little as if she would still defy him just for a moment. But he could see the pulse beating rapidly in her throat. Her lips were parted. Her eyes were almost black in the flickering darkness.

Jack turned around and began to walk away, knowing she would follow him. He made for the same shadowed shelter of palms and ferns that he had just left, waited until she was safely hidden from view along with him and then caught her in his arms. He nudged her face up to meet his with his cheek and then covered her mouth, claiming it. One hand strayed down her back, caressing the length of her spine until he stopped just below the band wrapped around her hips. It fisted a tight handful of grass skirt over the smooth curves of her bottom and pushed her up against him.

Sam's mouth came alive under his, hungry, seeking. She offered her tongue on a gasp and low moan and Jack accepted it on a hot wet slide of his own. They gasped and groaned and sucked and pressed deep. He let Sam go for a moment, rested his forehead on hers and panted. Then he took a breath as if he was going underwater before he pushed her mouth open again, before she was done catching her breath, twisting his head, pressing their lips together, His tongue sliding in and out, up and back and down in a long, rolling frantic kiss. Sam's kiss, conversely, softened, until it was pliable, yielding, accepting, until she was his.

"Carter," Jack gasped, thick and wet, pulling back, trying to swallow and kiss and breathe and talk all at once. "Carter ... _fuck_ ... _jeezus, fuck_."

Sam smiled a little. He only called her 'Carter' in that voice was he was out of his mind with desire; and then it sounded just like 'baby', 'honey', 'sweetheart' - different than the way he said it in any other context. He was holding her so tightly she couldn't have gotten away from him without causing them both serious damage. She should have felt trapped. Instead she felt wanted and protected.

"I thought that was the idea," she said, on a throaty growl.

"It _is_," he said, "But not like this, not up against a tree on the edge of a public party. Not like that."

She moved to get up on tiptoe and he let go of enough to allow the movement. She nipped at his jaw, sucked the vulnerable skin below it. It was very gentle, nothing that would leave a mark but it went straight to his throbbing groin. He bent a little and lifted his chin, giving her better access. She sucked a little lower, worked her way to the points of his collar bone and the hollow in between.

"Then let's go back to my room; or yours. I don't care. Just don't climb over the balcony again. You just about gave me a heart attack last time."

Jack's eyes were closed. Sam rolled her hips against him. The touch, even through heavy cloth and thick skirt, was electric.

"_Stop,"_ he groaned, "Christ, Sam, if you do that again I'm going to go off in my shorts. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done that?"

"Can it be calculated in decades?" she asked. "Give me a hint and I can do the math in my head."

"At least one of us can still think," he said, seeking her mouth again. The kiss was less frantic this time.

"I can think of quite of few things I'd like to be doing to you, preferably in a bed. Things like this, only lower," she sucked a little harder on his throat.

"_Shut up,"_ Jack moaned piteously. "God help me, Sam, I'm so turned on I can't _breathe."_

She wriggled and he let her go.

"Come on. We can walk back together. No one will even notice."

Jack shook his head. "Someone will notice."

"Wow," she said, "You can take the guy out of Special Forces….."

"Who says?" he interrupted.

She smiled, a little wickedly. Then she took his hand and drew him out of the shadows, letting go of his hand as they came back into the light. They walked side by side towards the main lobby of their building.

"Daniel and Jillian went left a while ago," Jack told her, "I saw them leave."

"I doubt they're hanging out in the common room having coffee," Sam observed.

Jack grunted. "Lawrence and Annie left just before I came to get you."

"They probably went back to Prometheus."

Jack nodded. She was right.

The ride in the elevator was torture. The few feet that separated them felt continental.

The common room was mercifully empty. Jack turned, swept her with a long appreciative look.

"You are the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life in that outfit. You know that right?"

"Just in this outfit?" She asked, a little mischievously.

He laughed and then hauled her into his arms, knocking the breath out of her. "Come here," he growled.

He kissed her and untied the knot in the middle of her back, pulled away the fabric. Sam made a small choked sound and then her hands were scrambling to drag his shirt of his waistband. She stopped, suspended for a moment when he slipped a hand between them and found her breast. Squeezed, fondled, teased, rubbed, circled. He drank in her moans, the shiver that trembled down her spine.

_God,_ how he wanted her. He wanted to get in her so deep and make her come so hard that she forgot there had ever been anyone else and all she could think about was him. He wanted her. He wanted to mark her, make her his and his alone. He wanted to _own_ her.

He had to let go of her so she could get his shirt over his head. It hit the floor somewhere beside the bright fuchsia strip of fabric she had just been wearing. Blind with lust, the touch of her naked body to his chest nearly sent Jack over the edge. He reached down and swept up his shirt and her top from the floor and then started backing her towards the doors on the other side of the room.

"Bedroom," he said.

Clinging, touching, kissing they found his door first. Jack reached around behind her and hit the control to open it. It slid silently open, they tumbled inside and Jack sealed it behind them. Loincloth and skirt hit the floor at the same time. Briefs and panties followed. Jack spun her across the room until they hit the bed and fell across it in a tangle of hands and arms and legs and seeking lips. Then Jack went to work in earnest, licking and mouthing, engulfing and sucking, stroking, petting, caressing until Sam's hands were clawing the sheets, Jack's name had turned into a blur of gasps and she was more turned on than she had been in days, wet and swollen.

Breathing on her, gentle movements of his tongue his fingers stroking the inside of her thigh…

With a low helpless groan, Sam put her foot against his shoulder and pushed him back, reaching down to grasp his arm and pull him up, trying to slide under him at the same time. Her whole body welcomed him as he thrust inside in one hard movement, until he was groin-deep and thick and holding her tight. She buried her face in his neck, let out a sudden sharp sob and started to climax.

"Yeah," Jack breathed in a low satisfied growl. His strokes got longer, smoother and deeper. His body controlled hers, riding the waves. Sam clung to him helplessly and let Jack have her. It was involuntary. Orgasm melted her, merged her into Jack until they were one. Jack surged into it, fiercely, taking her - taking charge of what belonged to him, exulting in it, knowing how hard it would make her come, knowing that this was how to make her come, Taking possession of her made her wild so he did it on purpose because he loved her and she was his.

Mercurial ecstasy rose up in him, surged through every muscle in his body. The outside world dissolved into nothing as his dark eyes slid closed. They were shaking apart inside and around each other. Sam was crying out over and over in a kind of shock, hands gripping his arms, legs locked around his hips. She lifted up and drove him deeper and Jack shot, hard and fierce and with animal immediacy deep in in the silken embrace of her body.

Soldered to her, molten heat, flesh to flesh, heart to heart…

He didn't quite collapse on top of her, managing somehow to slide sideways and land with his arm over her, their legs still tangled. He could feel her breathing in slow, deep gasps, gusting soft against his neck. He lifted his head and found her forcing her eyes open to look up at him and smile.

They kissed, rubbed noses and foreheads and cheeks, smiled again. Jack laughed softly.

They spent the next hour toying with each other, feasting on each other's arousal and subsequent climaxes, sometimes laughing like teenagers, sometimes groaning like the damned until they were wrung dry and exhausted.

Sprawled across Jack like a casualty of war Sam murmured, "My _god, _Jack, did you _take_ something before bringing me up here?"

Ruffling his fingers through her disheveled, sweat-drenched hair Jack snorted. "Yeah. I took one look at you oiled, half-naked and dancing. Are you trying to kill me, doing something like that?"

Her smile was slightly wicked again but she snuggled back down with her head in the hollow of his shoulders and her fingers trailing up and down the damp valley of his chest.

"I want to stay here tonight," she said. Her voice had gotten sleepy. Post-orgasm endorphins were now coasting through both of them like the tide.

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he wasn't letting her climb over the balcony railings but then thought she might consider it a dare so he bit that back as fast as his thoughts had conjured it.

It was quite late at night. If she left to walk into the common room and go the short distance to her room no one would notice.

But he didn't want her to go.

"Consequences," he slurred, softly.

"Screw them," she sighed.

"So stay," he murmured, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position, arranging one pillow so they could share it.

"'Kay," she said, snuggling down.

Jack managed a soft kiss on her forehead and to hold back sleep until the rhythm of her breathing and the sweet weight of her body told him she was asleep.

In the morning, there would be daylight and other people. But right now there was nothing but the night and the two of them and so for a little while the world was a beautiful and perfect place.

(0)


	14. Chapter 14

Having spent most of his adult life on the move and on different planets, much less different time zones (provided that he wasn't in fear for his life or the life of someone he loved or disturbed by a nightmare), Daniel woke after six hours no matter what time it was in the morning. In the days before Jillian that had often meant he was up before dawn. Now he was just a likely to wake up, find that it was still dark and turn to his wife thinking _I'll stay if you want me to, please always want me to._ He would gather her into his arms and she would nestle close and he would go back to sleep.

The morning after the feast he woke up first to the first pale gray light that signaled the night's end. He started to get up but Jillian made a soft, disappointed noise so he settled back down again. The next time he opened his eyes the room was flooding with bright yellow light and Jillian was slipping back into bed with him, coming back from a trip to the bathroom.

He smiled and ignored the fact that he should probably get up and find the bathroom too. There was time. He wanted her back in his arms for a moment. She was still tousled and her body still felt sleep-heavy as she settled back down with a sigh.

They didn't speak at first. The love in her eyes was breathtaking. For a moment his chest hurt and he had to swallow the ache in his throat. Under the light sheet his hand found hers and touched the only thing she was wearing – her wedding ring. It was soothing, comforting. Jillian reached up and stroked her thumb over his jaw, over the sandpaper-fine early morning beard shadow.

"Let this grow," she said.

Daniel lifted both eyebrows and looked amused. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." It was a purr, throaty, happy. She tilted her head and looked up at him hopefully. "You told me once that you would, when you didn't go off world any more. You said it was too much trouble to maintain in the field but now….. Now we're going to Atlantis, so we'll be closing up the house and tying up loose ends for a month and then three weeks to Atlantis and then, I hope, days and days spent in the library there."

He cut her off by putting a finger over her lips.

"Okay," he said.

"Really?"

He laughed a little. "Considering what you're doing for me right now, for _us_? Yeah, I think 'not shaving' is a pretty simple thing for you to ask from me."

The delight in her forest green eyes warmed him to his soul. He held her for a bit longer until he realized she was falling back to sleep.

"Jill?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to get up now."

"Hmmm."

He waited until she was asleep and slipped gingerly out from under and around her, fixed the sheet over her shoulder. He kissed her on the forehead, mindful of using just his lips and avoiding the scratchy stubble.

He showered and didn't shave, dressed, checked on her one more time and then went out into the common room. The only occupant was Teal'c, though it was obvious from the banquet spread out on the center table that their breakfast had been delivered not too long ago. Teal'c was piling a selection of bread, cheese and fruit onto a platter.

"Who else is back from the party?" Daniel asked.

"You and I, presumably Jillian is with you, Ishta is still sleeping. There is movement and sound from O'Neill's room but none of the others."

"Where is Sam?" Daniel was suddenly alarmed.

"I believe she is in the room with O'Neill," Teal'c said, blandly.

Daniel stopped in midstride slack-jawed. "What?"

Teal'c reached into his back pocket and pulled out a strip of fuchsia colored fabric.

"I found this on the floor in front of his door."

Daniel and Teal'c shared a long, conversational look at the end of which Daniel exhaled slowly and said, "Wow."

(0)

Jack stood in the middle of the room between the bed and the door and said, "So what do you want to do?"

Sam was seated on the bed wearing yesterday's hot pink lace panties and one of Jack's t-shirts. Jack was finding this almost as sexy as the skirt and bandeau top from the night before but Sam's mind was on other things.

"I want to get a shower and get dressed," she answered.

He gestured towards his bathroom door. "There's a shower in there that you can play basketball in. I plan to take one. We could take one together."

"I know," she said, "But I can't use your soap! It dries my skin and I'll smell like you all day."

He gestured to the front door. "I can go get stuff from your room."

"Yeah, that won't look at all suspicious."

Jack sighed and resisted scratching at his spikey hair. They had seriously overslept and now they weren't sure what to do about getting Sam back to her own room.

"Just look out there and see who is awake. It's still early." Sam suggested.

Jack went to the front door, opened it cautiously and peered out.

Daniel and Teal'c were seated on the couch that ran perpendicular to his door. They both looked up curiously. Daniel had an electronic notebook balanced on his knee and a mug of the local coffee in his hand. Teal'c was eating.

"Morning," Jack said, holding the door against his body to block the view into the room.

"Morning," Daniel agreed, with feigned cheerfulness.

"Anyone else awake?" Jack asked, conversationally.

"No, no. Just me and Teal'c," Daniel answered.

"Okay," Jack said, and then shut the door quickly so he missed the speculative look that passed between Teal'c and Daniel.

Sam looked up at him.

"It's just Daniel and Teal'c. No one else is here or up yet."

Sam sighed and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. She was being indecisive and she hated it.

"What do you think?" Jack asked softly.

She looked up, sapphire eyes haunted. Jack made an aggravated noise in his throat. "Come on. I can _hear_ you thinking. Just talk."

"Those two men are my best friends."

"Same here."

"I trust them with my life. I trust them with _your_ life. I'm closer to them than I've ever been to family."

"Same here."

"We've kept all this from them to protect them."

"Yes."

"But I'm not sure there's anything we need to protect them _from_ anymore. Teal'c is leaving to be with the Free Jaffa Nation and that's exactly what he should be doing. Daniel is going to Atlantis at the request of the Langford-Littlefield Foundation and _no one_ can argue with that; not even you."

Jack frowned. That was also true. He just didn't have to like it.

"So?" He prompted when she stopped.

"They won't betray us."

"They haven't so far," Jack agreed.

"You think they know."

"Neither of them is stupid. What are you trying to talk yourself into here, Sam?"

She sighed and looked at her hands for a while. Then she looked up and met his eyes with unwavering certainty. She was so much in love with Jack, with this man who had survived every blow life had dealt him; who still challenged the world to accept him on his own terms. Sometimes he did that with acerbic biting humor and sometimes as a warrior born and bred. But either way she loved him.

Unable to tell the rest of the world, she suddenly fiercely wanted to tell the other people in her life that she loved.

"I want to tell them." She stated it bluntly. "It doesn't feel right now, when we're all going our separate ways. I don't want anything secret or left unsaid among the four of us. They should know."

She saw the concern fade out of Jack's eyes and knew the decision was made for both of them.

"So let's go," Sam said, jumping up off the bed and heading passed him to the door.

Jack caught her arm. "Wait. Wait. Dressed like that?"

Sam looked down at the oversized t-shirt. "They've seen me in less."

Jack made a gesture in the air as if he was trying to pull what he wanted to say out of the air. "The ….. context is…. Different."

"I could walk out there dressed in a nun's habit and they'd still know what we did," Sam said, shaking her head.

Jack nodded though he still looked reluctant. Driven by an instinct to protect her as old as time, he got between Sam and the door, blocked her from going any further and slowly opened it again.

Teal'c and Daniel both looked up again. Jack hesitated and then stepped aside, pushing the door open wider. Sam moved from behind him to his side and stood looking uncertainly at the rest of their team.

For a moment no one spoke. Then Daniel held his hand out to Teal'c, who produced a long strip of fuchsia fabric from somewhere behind him. Daniel held it up.

"You dropped this," he said.

Sam felt heat rise up into her face and knew she was blushing the same color as her outfit from the previous night. Jack also seemed to turn ruddier under his tan. But the mild embarrassment was bearable. In fact it was hardly anything after what they had been through for eight years. There were greater emotions flooding Sam, and from the profound look on Jack's face, him too.

While they had been in Jack's room debating whether or not to tell their secret to the two people they trusted most in the world, Daniel and Teal'c had been out in the common room guarding that secret unasked.

The sense of gratitude and love that filled Sam was not something that could be put into words. Jack was also speechless but he swallowed tightly.

Sam walked over to Daniel and took her top back from him. She couldn't quite help the silly, goofy affectionate smile that pulled at her lips.

"I'm, ummm, gonna go take a shower," she said, backing away from them in the direction of her room.

"Okay," Daniel said. It was obvious he was trying very hard not to smile back.

She turned and disappeared behind her own door. Daniel and Teal'c looked back at Jack. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"Uh, me too," he said.

Jack sealed the door and leaned back against it for a moment. Whatever Teal'c and Daniel said after that, Jack never knew.

(0)

Sam came out a while later wearing jeans and a t-shirt and fluffing her hair with a towel. She paused and took in the room. Its only occupant was now Daniel. He didn't move or say anything, though they shared a brief look. There was still a smile in his eyes that bordered on laughter. He went back to reading, sipping at the liquid in his mug. Sam went to get some food from the buffet. He let her eat in silence. His presence was calm, accepting and Sam could feel herself relaxing in it. It was something unspoken they had always depended on Daniel to do – be at home anywhere, in any situation no matter how off-kilter; and help them all feel the same way.

She finished eating, put the plates in the slot on the wall that seemed to whisk them away to be cleaned and went to sit in the chair that angled away from the couch. She inhaled as if she was about to speak and at that instant Jack's door opened and he came back into the room. He was wearing his blue BDU and still looking every bit the General. Whatever she had been about to say it died on a slow exhale.

"You two are going to talk," he guessed.

Daniel gave Sam a questioning look and she nodded though she looked uncertain.

Jack blew out a breath. "Okay. I'm gonna let you do that while I go back to Prometheus."

"Is something wrong?" Sam asked, quickly.

"Nope," Jack answered, casually, "Just don't want to do the talking thing. You two can hash it out."

He crossed the short distance between them and leaned over Sam. His fingers caressed her cheek on the way to cradling her face in his palm for a moment. Their eyes met. For a moment it was just the two of them, shielded from the rest of the world.

"I'll be back," he said.

"I know," she answered.

They kissed with the barest touch of lips. For Daniel it didn't look the least strange. Somehow this was how it had always been. Sam and Jack had always said goodbye like this. It made his heart heavy with happiness to see it in reality at last.

Jack stood up, hit the communicator in his hand to signal Prometheus and vanished a second later in a bright flash of light.

Daniel shook his head ruefully. "He's one of the bravest men I've ever known and sometimes he's just such a chicken shit."

"I'm not sure it's that, Daniel," Sam said.

He gave her a shrewd, assessing look. "You're still in his chain of command; and this didn't just start last night."

"No it didn't. Did Jill tell you? He keeps insisting you knew."

"I did, but not because Jill told me. I figured it out when we were all in Minnesota."

"I thought we were pretty careful in Minnesota. I think we've been pretty careful everywhere."

"You didn't give it away with anything but how happy you've been and I guessed when Jill tried to keep your secret. She didn't let you down, Sam. She never said a word."

"Where is she, by the way?" Sam asked.

"She's asleep," Daniel paused, got a slightly misty look on his face and said, "Fatigue is the new issue she's dealing with and we were out late last night."

"Teal'c? Ishta?"

"They went out. He promised her a tour of the city. He's good with all this anyway."

"Ah," Sam nodded and studied her hands for a while. Then she said, "We should have told you, both of you. It feels like betrayal somehow."

"You've been protecting us."

"Yes."

"And yourselves."

"Yes. We've been trying to be safe."

"It was never safe, Sam. It still isn't. But we don't feel betrayed. I'd like to say that I wish you had told us so that we could have helped you, but you're doing just fine all by yourselves."

"But things are changing. The team doesn't exist anymore."

"The team will always exist, Sam, in one way or the other. What we forged isn't ever going to be broken. Certainly not by two of us finally admitting they're in love. This thing between you and Jack…. We've all felt it was inevitable. There's been sparks and resistance there from the beginning, though I didn't see it. Teal'c did. I was too distracted I guess. But the bond is there. It's different than the one you and I have. It's different than the one you have with Teal'c. But it's there – insanely complicated, seemingly impossible. But so real that we could feel it in the air at times. You're both happy, more relaxed that you've been in years. You adore him. He adores you and he's not tormented and miserable and locked up inside anymore. All of that is _good. _We're _happy_ for you."

Sam took that in for a while, staring unseeing at a spot on the mosaic floor. "You mean you don't want to yell at us about all the rules we broke? Or the monumental risks we're taking?

"Do you want me too?" A smile was pulling at the corners of Daniel's mouth again.

"Maybe you should."

"What purpose would it serve? It's not like you and Jack haven't thought all this through already. It's nothing you don't know already."

"True."

The smile broke a little. "I might yell at him though, just because."

"Don't," Sam said, and she was utterly serious.

His smile faded and he sat forward. "What?"

Sam sighed, "We're both military, Daniel. We're invested in it. This wasn't something we did lightly. The frat regs may suck but they're the law until someone changes them. The military won't care that we mean the world to each other. You throw all that in Jack's face just to bait him and he's likely to put you on your ass for real, for the first time in your very complex history."

Daniel studied her for a moment. She meant it. Daniel was younger, probably stronger but he had nothing like Jack's combat experience and never would. If he continued to bait Jack now, he was asking for trouble. He held up his hand in surrender.

"Okay."

"So we're all good with this then?"

"As good as we can be until Jack retires and we know you're both completely safe."

"That's fair."

Sam stood, moved over to him and leaned down to kiss his morning-scratchy cheek. "I love you, Daniel."

"I love you too, Sam."

She straightened up, took a communicator out of her back pocket, keyed the code and vanished, following Jack the same way she would always follow him, forever.

(0)


End file.
